Beyond the continuum: how molecular solvent structure affects electrostatics and hydrodynamics at solid-electrolyte interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonthuis, Douwe Jan; Netz, Roland R

2013-10-03

Standard continuum theory fails to predict several key experimental results of electrostatic and electrokinetic measurements at aqueous electrolyte interfaces. In order to extend the continuum theory to include the effects of molecular solvent structure, we generalize the equations for electrokinetic transport to incorporate a space dependent dielectric profile, viscosity profile, and non-electrostatic interaction potential. All necessary profiles are extracted from atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We show that the MD results for the ion-specific distribution of counterions at charged hydrophilic and hydrophobic interfaces are accurately reproduced using the dielectric profile of pure water and a non-electrostatic repulsion in an extended Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The distributions of Na(+) at both surface types and Cl(-) at hydrophilic surfaces can be modeled using linear dielectric response theory, whereas for Cl(-) at hydrophobic surfaces it is necessary to apply nonlinear response theory. The extended Poisson-Boltzmann equation reproduces the experimental values of the double-layer capacitance for many different carbon-based surfaces. In conjunction with a generalized hydrodynamic theory that accounts for a space dependent viscosity, the model captures the experimentally observed saturation of the electrokinetic mobility as a function of the bare surface charge density and the so-called anomalous double-layer conductivity. The two-scale approach employed here-MD simulations and continuum theory-constitutes a successful modeling scheme, providing basic insight into the molecular origins of the static and kinetic properties of charged surfaces, and allowing quantitative modeling at low computational cost.

On electrostatic and Casimir force measurements between conducting surfaces in a sphere-plane configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, W J; Brown-Hayes, M; Brownell, J H; Dalvit, D A R; Onofrio, R

2009-01-01

We report on measurements of forces acting between two conducting surfaces in a spherical-plane configuration in the 35 nm-1 μm separation range. The measurements are obtained by performing electrostatic calibrations followed by a residuals analysis after subtracting the electrostatic-dependent component. We find in all runs optimal fitting of the calibrations for exponents smaller than the one predicted by electrostatics for an ideal sphere-plane geometry. We also find that the external bias potential necessary to minimize the electrostatic contribution depends on the sphere-plane distance. In spite of these anomalies, by implementing a parametrization-dependent subtraction of the electrostatic contribution we have found evidence for short-distance attractive forces of magnitude comparable to the expected Casimir-Lifshitz force. We finally discuss the relevance of our findings in the more general context of Casimir-Lifshitz force measurements, with particular regard to the critical issues of the electrical and geometrical characterization of the involved surfaces.

Influence of solvent polarization and non-uniform ion size on electrostatic properties between charged surfaces in an electrolyte solution

Science.gov (United States)

Sin, Jun-Sik

2017-12-01

In this paper, we study electrostatic properties between two similar or oppositely charged surfaces immersed in an electrolyte solution by using the mean-field approach accounting for solvent polarization and non-uniform size effects. Applying a free energy formalism accounting for unequal ion sizes and orientational ordering of water dipoles, we derive coupled and self-consistent equations to calculate electrostatic properties between charged surfaces. Electrostatic properties for similarly charged surfaces depend on the counterion size but not on the coion size. Moreover, electrostatic potential and osmotic pressure between similarly charged surfaces are found to be increased with increasing counterion size. On the other hand, the corresponding ones between oppositely charged surfaces are related to both sizes of positive and negative ions. For oppositely charged surfaces, the electrostatic potential, number density of solvent molecules, and relative permittivity of an electrolyte having unequal ion sizes are not symmetric about the centerline between the charged surfaces. For either case, the consideration of solvent polarization results in a decrease in the electrostatic potential and the osmotic pressure compared to the case without the effect.

Electrostatic and electromagnetic instabilities associated with electrostatic shocks: Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Tsunehiko N.; Takabe, Hideaki

2010-01-01

A two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation with the realistic ion-to-electron mass ratio of 1836 is carried out to investigate the electrostatic collisionless shocks in relatively high-speed (∼3000 km s -1 ) plasma flows and also the influence of both electrostatic and electromagnetic instabilities, which can develop around the shocks, on the shock dynamics. It is shown that the electrostatic ion-ion instability can develop in front of the shocks, where the plasma is under counterstreaming condition, with highly oblique wave vectors as was shown previously. The electrostatic potential generated by the electrostatic ion-ion instability propagating obliquely to the shock surface becomes comparable with the shock potential and finally the shock structure is destroyed. It is also shown that in front of the shock the beam-Weibel instability gradually grows as well, consequently suggesting that the magnetic field generated by the beam-Weibel instability becomes important in long-term evolution of the shock and the Weibel-mediated shock forms long after the electrostatic shock vanished. It is also observed that the secondary electrostatic shock forms in the reflected ions in front of the primary electrostatic shock.

Accelerating electrostatic surface potential calculation with multi-scale approximation on graphics processing units.

Science.gov (United States)

Anandakrishnan, Ramu; Scogland, Tom R W; Fenley, Andrew T; Gordon, John C; Feng, Wu-chun; Onufriev, Alexey V

2010-06-01

Tools that compute and visualize biomolecular electrostatic surface potential have been used extensively for studying biomolecular function. However, determining the surface potential for large biomolecules on a typical desktop computer can take days or longer using currently available tools and methods. Two commonly used techniques to speed-up these types of electrostatic computations are approximations based on multi-scale coarse-graining and parallelization across multiple processors. This paper demonstrates that for the computation of electrostatic surface potential, these two techniques can be combined to deliver significantly greater speed-up than either one separately, something that is in general not always possible. Specifically, the electrostatic potential computation, using an analytical linearized Poisson-Boltzmann (ALPB) method, is approximated using the hierarchical charge partitioning (HCP) multi-scale method, and parallelized on an ATI Radeon 4870 graphical processing unit (GPU). The implementation delivers a combined 934-fold speed-up for a 476,040 atom viral capsid, compared to an equivalent non-parallel implementation on an Intel E6550 CPU without the approximation. This speed-up is significantly greater than the 42-fold speed-up for the HCP approximation alone or the 182-fold speed-up for the GPU alone. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Study of Electrostatic Charge on Insulating Film by Electrostatic Force Microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikunaga, K; Toosaka, K; Kamohara, T; Sakai, K; Nonaka, K

2011-01-01

Electrostatic charge properties on polypropylene film have been characterized by atomic force microscopy and electrostatic force microscopy. The measurements have been carried out after the polypropylene film was electrified by contact and separation process in an atmosphere of controlled humidity. The negative and positive charge in concave surface has been observed. The correlation between concave surface and charge position suggests that the electrostatic charges could be caused by localized contact. On the other hand, positive charge on a flat surface has been observed. The absence of a relationship between surface profile and charge position suggests that the electrostatic charge should be caused by discharge during the separation process. The spatial migration of other positive charges through surface roughness has been observed. The results suggest that there could be some electron traps on the surface roughness and some potentials on the polypropylene film.

Relationship between the electrostatic sensitivity of nitramines and their molecular structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hossein Keshavarz, Mohammad [Department of Chemistry, Malek-ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr (Iran); Moghadas, Mohammad Hassan [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Malek-ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr (Iran); Kavosh Tehrani, Masoud [Department of Physics, Malek-ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr (Iran)

2009-04-15

In this paper, a new approach is introduced to predict the electrostatic sensitivity of nitramines on the basis of their molecular structure. The ratio of carbon to oxygen and the existence of two specific structural parameters can be used for the prediction of the electrostatic sensitivity of nitramines. The results are also compared with quantum mechanical computations from [9] so that the new method gives better predictions with respect to the measured data. Electrostatic sensitivities calculated by the new method for two new nitramines CL-20 [2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane] and TNAZ [1,3,3-trinitroazatidine] are also close to the experimental data. (Abstract Copyright [2009], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Structural phase transition in monolayer MoTe2 driven by electrostatic doping

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Xiao, Jun; Zhu, Hanyu; Li, Yao; Alsaid, Yousif; Fong, King Yan; Zhou, Yao; Wang, Siqi; Shi, Wu; Wang, Yuan; Zettl, Alex; Reed, Evan J.; Zhang, Xiang

2017-10-01

Monolayers of transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exhibit numerous crystal phases with distinct structures, symmetries and physical properties. Exploring the physics of transitions between these different structural phases in two dimensions may provide a means of switching material properties, with implications for potential applications. Structural phase transitions in TMDs have so far been induced by thermal or chemical means; purely electrostatic control over crystal phases through electrostatic doping was recently proposed as a theoretical possibility, but has not yet been realized. Here we report the experimental demonstration of an electrostatic-doping-driven phase transition between the hexagonal and monoclinic phases of monolayer molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2). We find that the phase transition shows a hysteretic loop in Raman spectra, and can be reversed by increasing or decreasing the gate voltage. We also combine second-harmonic generation spectroscopy with polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy to show that the induced monoclinic phase preserves the crystal orientation of the original hexagonal phase. Moreover, this structural phase transition occurs simultaneously across the whole sample. This electrostatic-doping control of structural phase transition opens up new possibilities for developing phase-change devices based on atomically thin membranes.

Probing lipid membrane electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yi

The electrostatic properties of lipid bilayer membranes play a significant role in many biological processes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is highly sensitive to membrane surface potential in electrolyte solutions. With fully characterized probe tips, AFM can perform quantitative electrostatic analysis of lipid membranes. Electrostatic interactions between Silicon nitride probes and supported zwitterionic dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayer with a variable fraction of anionic dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) were measured by AFM. Classical Gouy-Chapman theory was used to model the membrane electrostatics. The nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation was numerically solved with finite element method to provide the potential distribution around the AFM tips. Theoretical tip-sample electrostatic interactions were calculated with the surface integral of both Maxwell and osmotic stress tensors on tip surface. The measured forces were interpreted with theoretical forces and the resulting surface charge densities of the membrane surfaces were in quantitative agreement with the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model of membrane charge regulation. It was demonstrated that the AFM can quantitatively detect membrane surface potential at a separation of several screening lengths, and that the AFM probe only perturbs the membrane surface potential by external field created by the internai membrane dipole moment. The analysis yields a dipole moment of 1.5 Debye per lipid with a dipole potential of +275 mV for supported DOPC membranes. This new ability to quantitatively measure the membrane dipole density in a noninvasive manner will be useful in identifying the biological effects of the dipole potential. Finally, heterogeneous model membranes were studied with fluid electric force microscopy (FEFM). Electrostatic mapping was demonstrated with 50 nm resolution. The capabilities of quantitative electrostatic measurement and lateral charge density mapping make AFM a unique and powerful

Nonlinear frequency shift of finite-amplitude electrostatic surface waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stenflo, L.

1989-01-01

The problem concerning the appropriate form for the nonlinear frequency shift arising from slow density modulations of electrostatic surface waves in a semi-infinite unmagnetized plasma is reconsidered. The spatial dependence of the wave amplitude normal to the surface is kept general in order to allow for possible nonlinear attenuation behaviour of the surface waves. It is found that if the frequency shift is expressed as a function of the density and its gradient then the result is identical with that of Zhelyazkov, I. Proceedings International Conference on Plasma Physics, Kiev, 1987, Vol. 2, p. 694, who assumed a linear exponential attenuation behaviour. (author)

Vlasov Simulation of Electrostatic Solitary Structures in Multi-Component Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Umeda, Takayuki; Ashour-Abdalla, Maha; Pickett, Jolene S.; Goldstein, Melvyn L.

2012-01-01

Electrostatic solitary structures have been observed in the Earth's magnetosheath by the Cluster spacecraft. Recent theoretical work has suggested that these solitary structures are modeled by electron acoustic solitary waves existing in a four-component plasma system consisting of core electrons, two counter-streaming electron beams, and one species of background ions. In this paper, the excitation of electron acoustic waves and the formation of solitary structures are studied by means of a one-dimensional electrostatic Vlasov simulation. The present result first shows that either electron acoustic solitary waves with negative potential or electron phase-space holes with positive potential are excited in four-component plasma systems. However, these electrostatic solitary structures have longer duration times and higher wave amplitudes than the solitary structures observed in the magnetosheath. The result indicates that a high-speed and small free energy source may be needed as a fifth component. An additional simulation of a five-component plasma consisting of a stable four-component plasma and a weak electron beam shows the generation of small and fast electron phase-space holes by the bump-on-tail instability. The physical properties of the small and fast electron phase-space holes are very similar to those obtained by the previous theoretical analysis. The amplitude and duration time of solitary structures in the simulation are also in agreement with the Cluster observation.

Influence of surface effects on the pull-in instability of NEMS electrostatic switches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Jianming Bryan; Jiang Liying; Asokanthan, Samuel F, E-mail: lyjiang@eng.uwo.ca, E-mail: sasokanthan@eng.uwo.ca [Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B9 (Canada)

2010-12-17

The influence of surface effects, including residual surface stress and surface elasticity, on the pull-in instability of electrostatic switches in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) is studied using an Euler-Bernoulli beam model. This model is inherently nonlinear due to the driving electrostatic force and Casimir force which become dominant at the nanoscale. Since no exact solutions are available for the resulting nonlinear differential equation, He's homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is used to get the approximate analytical solutions to the static bending of NEMS switches, which are validated by numerical solutions of the finite difference method (FDM). The results demonstrate that surface effects play a significant role in the selection of basic design parameters of NEMS switches, such as static deflection, pull-in voltage and detachment length. Surface effects on low-voltage actuation windows are also characterized for these switches. The present study is envisaged to provide useful insights for the design of NEMS switches.

An efficient numerical approach to electrostatic microelectromechanical system simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pu, Li

2009-01-01

Computational analysis of electrostatic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) requires an electrostatic analysis to compute the electrostatic forces acting on micromechanical structures and a mechanical analysis to compute the deformation of micromechanical structures. Typically, the mechanical analysis is performed on an undeformed geometry. However, the electrostatic analysis is performed on the deformed position of microstructures. In this paper, a new efficient approach to self-consistent analysis of electrostatic MEMS in the small deformation case is presented. In this approach, when the microstructures undergo small deformations, the surface charge densities on the deformed geometry can be computed without updating the geometry of the microstructures. This algorithm is based on the linear mode shapes of a microstructure as basis functions. A boundary integral equation for the electrostatic problem is expanded into a Taylor series around the undeformed configuration, and a new coupled-field equation is presented. This approach is validated by comparing its results with the results available in the literature and ANSYS solutions, and shows attractive features comparable to ANSYS. (general)

Massive calculations of electrostatic potentials and structure maps of biopolymers in a distributed computing environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akishina, T.P.; Ivanov, V.V.; Stepanenko, V.A.

2013-01-01

Among the key factors determining the processes of transcription and translation are the distributions of the electrostatic potentials of DNA, RNA and proteins. Calculations of electrostatic distributions and structure maps of biopolymers on computers are time consuming and require large computational resources. We developed the procedures for organization of massive calculations of electrostatic potentials and structure maps for biopolymers in a distributed computing environment (several thousands of cores).

The role of surface electrostatics on the stability, function and regulation of human cystathionine β-synthase, a complex multidomain and oligomeric protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Pey, Angel L; Majtan, Tomas; Kraus, Jan P

2014-09-01

Human cystathionine β-synthase (hCBS) is a key enzyme of sulfur amino acid metabolism, controlling the commitment of homocysteine to the transsulfuration pathway and antioxidant defense. Mutations in hCBS cause inherited homocystinuria (HCU), a rare inborn error of metabolism characterized by accumulation of toxic homocysteine in blood and urine. hCBS is a complex multidomain and oligomeric protein whose activity and stability are independently regulated by the binding of S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) to two different types of sites at its C-terminal regulatory domain. Here we study the role of surface electrostatics on the complex regulation and stability of hCBS using biophysical and biochemical procedures. We show that the kinetic stability of the catalytic and regulatory domains is significantly affected by the modulation of surface electrostatics through noticeable structural and energetic changes along their denaturation pathways. We also show that surface electrostatics strongly affect SAM binding properties to those sites responsible for either enzyme activation or kinetic stabilization. Our results provide new insight into the regulation of hCBS activity and stability in vivo with implications for understanding HCU as a conformational disease. We also lend experimental support to the role of electrostatic interactions in the recently proposed binding modes of SAM leading to hCBS activation and kinetic stabilization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional flow and turbulence structure in electrostatic precipitator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ullum, Thorvald Uhrskov; Larsen, Poul Scheel; Özcan, Oktay

2002-01-01

Stereo PIV is employed to study the three-dimensional velocity and turbulence fields in a laboratory model of a negative corona, barbed-wire, smooth-plate, electrostatic precipitator (figure 1). The study is focused on determining the parametric effects of axial development, mean current density Jm...... and bulk velocity U0 on secondary flows and turbulence levels and structures due to the action of the three-dimensional electrostatic field on the charged gas. At constant bulk velocity (U0 = 1 m/s) and current density (Jm = 0.4 mA/m2), secondary flows in the form of rolls of axial vorticity with swirl...

Linking epigenetic function to electrostatics: The DNMT2 structural model example.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Gilberto Cavalheiro; Vieira, Gustavo Fioravanti; Sinigaglia, Marialva; Silva Valente, Vera Lúcia da

2017-01-01

The amino acid sequence of DNMT2 is very similar to the catalytic domains of bacterial and eukaryotic proteins. However, there is great variability in the region of recognition of the target sequence. While bacterial DNMT2 acts as a DNA methyltransferase, previous studies have indicated low DNA methylation activity in eukaryotic DNMT2, with preference by tRNA methylation. Drosophilids are known as DNMT2-only species and the DNA methylation phenomenon is a not elucidated case yet, as well as the ontogenetic and physiologic importance of DNMT2 for this species group. In addition, more recently study showed that methylation in the genome in Drosophila melanogaster is independent in relation to DNMT2. Despite these findings, Drosophilidae family has more than 4,200 species with great ecological diversity and historical evolution, thus we, therefore, aimed to examine the drosophilids DNMT2 in order to verify its conservation at the physicochemical and structural levels in a functional context. We examined the twenty-six DNMT2 models generated by molecular modelling and five crystallographic structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) using different approaches. Our results showed that despite sequence and structural similarity between species close related, we found outstanding differences when they are analyzed in the context of surface distribution of electrostatic properties. The differences found in the electrostatic potentials may be linked with different affinities and processivity of DNMT2 for its different substrates (DNA, RNA or tRNA) and even for interactions with other proteins involved in the epigenetic mechanisms.

Structural and electrostatic regularities in interactions of homeodomains with operator DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chirgadze, Yu.N.; Ivanov, V.V.; Polozov, R.V.; Zheltukhin, E.I.; Sivozhelezov, V.S.

2008-01-01

Interfaces of five DNA-homeodomain complexes, selected by similarity of structures and patterns of contacting residues, were compared. The long-range stage of the recognition process was characterized by electrostatic potentials about 5 Angstroem away from molecular surfaces of both protein and DNA. For proteins, clear positive potential is displayed only at the side contacting DNA, while grooves of DNA display a strong negative potential. Thus, one functional role of electrostatics is guiding the protein into the DNA major groove. At the close-range stage, neutralization of the phosphate charges by positively charged residues is necessary for decreasing the strong electrostatic potential of DNA, allowing nucleotide bases to participate in formation of protein-DNA atomic contacts in the interface. The protein's recognizing α-helix was shown to form both invariant and variable contacts with DNA by means of the certain specific side groups, with water molecules participating in some of the contacts. The invariant contacts included the highly specific Asn-Ade hydrogen bonds, nonpolar contacts of hydrophobic amino acids serving as barriers for fixing the protein on DNA, and interface water molecule cluster providing local mobility necessary for the dissociation of the protein-DNA complex. One of the water molecules is invariant and located at the center of the interface. Invariant contacts of the proteins are mostly formed with the TAAT motive of promoter DNA's forward strand. They distinguish the homeodomain family from other DNA-binding proteins. Variable contacts are formed with the reverse strand and are responsible for the binding specificity within the homeodomain family

Computerized study of several electrostatic, surface-ionization ion-source configurations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestrini, S.J.; Schuster, B.G.

1984-08-01

A computer-based method is presented whereby the optics of electrostatic, surface-ionization ion-source designs can be analyzed theoretically. The analysis solves for the luminosity and disperstion of a beam of charged particles at the final collimating slit and at locations preceding the slit. The performance of an ion source tested in 1960 and also some newer optical configurations are compared with theory.

Harvesting electrostatic energy using super-hydrophobic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Pociecha, Dominik; Zylka, Pawel

2016-11-01

Almost all environments are now being extensively populated by miniaturized, nano-powered electronic sensor devices communicated together through wireless sensor networks building Internet of Things (IoT). Various energy harvesting techniques are being more and more frequently proposed for battery-less powering of such remote, unattended, implantable or wearable sensors or other low-power electronic gadgets. Energy harvesting relays on extracting energy from the ambient sources readily accessible at the sensor location and converting it into electrical power. The paper exploits possibility of generating electric energy safely accessible for nano-power electronics using tribo-electric and electrostatic induction phenomena displayed at super-hydrophobic surfaces impinged by water droplets. Mechanism of such interaction is discussed and illustrated by experimental results.

At technique for visualizing electrostatic fields based on their topological structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Handa, Susumu

2004-01-01

In molecular science, visualization techniques based on computer graphics are now well established as a tool to interpret simulation results, since molecules are complicated in the structures and mutual interactions. As a probe to study such molecular interactions, electrostatic fields are considered to be useful. However, since they are given as 3D vector fields having complicated distributions, conventional drawing techniques are inadequate. In this article, a new approach based on topological structures in vector fields is presented to visualize the electrostatic fields of molecules. The scheme is to select regions of interest only from the topological structures of the fields. An example in applications to chemical reactions of an amino acid complex is presented to show how the scheme is used. (author)

Compact electrostatic comb actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, M. Steven; Burg, Michael S.; Jensen, Brian D.; Miller, Samuel L.; Barnes, Stephen M.

2000-01-01

A compact electrostatic comb actuator is disclosed for microelectromechanical (MEM) applications. The actuator is based upon a plurality of meshed electrostatic combs, some of which are stationary and others of which are moveable. One or more restoring springs are fabricated within an outline of the electrostatic combs (i.e. superposed with the moveable electrostatic combs) to considerably reduce the space required for the actuator. Additionally, a truss structure is provided to support the moveable electrostatic combs and prevent bending or distortion of these combs due to unbalanced electrostatic forces or external loading. The truss structure formed about the moveable electrostatic combs allows the spacing between the interdigitated fingers of the combs to be reduced to about one micron or less, thereby substantially increasing the number of active fingers which can be provided in a given area. Finally, electrostatic shields can be used in the actuator to substantially reduce unwanted electrostatic fields to further improve performance of the device. As a result, the compact electrostatic comb actuator of the present invention occupies only a fraction of the space required for conventional electrostatic comb actuators, while providing a substantial increase in the available drive force (up to one-hundred times).

Effects of sterilisation method on surface topography and in-vitro cell behaviour of electrostatically spun scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Kirstie D; Hunt, John A; Black, Richard A

2007-02-01

Electrostatic spinning is a potentially significant technique for scaffold production within the field of tissue engineering; however, the effect of sterilisation upon these structures is not known. This research investigated the extent of any topographical alteration to electrostatically spun scaffolds post-production through sterilisation, and examined any subsequent effect on contacting cells. Scaffolds made from Tecoflex SG-80A polyurethane were sterilised using ethylene oxide and UV-ozone. Scaffold topography was characterized in terms of inter-fibre separation (ifs), fibre diameter (f.dia) and surface roughness. Cell culture was performed over 7 days with both mouse L929 and human embryonic lung fibroblasts, the results of which were assessed using SEM, image analysis and confocal microscopy. Sterilisation by UV-ozone and ethylene oxide decreased ifs and increased f.dia; surface roughness was decreased by UV-ozone but increased by ethylene oxide. Possible mechanisms to explain these observations are discussed, namely photo-oxidative degradation in the case of UV-ozone and process-induced changes in surface roughness. UV-ozone sterilised scaffolds showed greater cell coverage than those treated with ethylene oxide, but lower coverage than all the controls. Changes in cell attachment and morphology were thought to be due to the changes in topography brought about by the sterilisation process. We conclude that surface modification by sterilisation could prove to be a useful tool at the final stage of scaffold production to enhance cell contact, phenotype or function.

Electrostatic application of antimicrobial sprays to sanitize food handling and processing surfaces for enhanced food safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyons, Shawn M; Harrison, Mark A; Law, S Edward

2011-01-01

Human illnesses and deaths caused by foodborne pathogens (e.g., Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, etc.) are of increasing concern globally in maintaining safe food supplies. At various stages of the food production, processing and supply chain antimicrobial agents are required to sanitize contact surfaces. Additionally, during outbreaks of contagious pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., H1N1 influenza), public health requires timely decontamination of extensive surfaces within public schools, mass transit systems, etc. Prior publications verify effectiveness of air-assisted, induction-charged (AAIC) electrostatic spraying of various chemical and biological agents to protect on-farm production of food crops...typically doubling droplet deposition efficiency with concomitant increases in biological control efficacy. Within a biosafety facility this present work evaluated the AAIC electrostatic-spraying process for application of antimicrobial liquids onto various pathogen-inoculated food processing and handling surfaces as a food safety intervention strategy. Fluoroanalysis of AAIC electrostatic sprays (-7.2 mC/kg charge-to-mass ratio) showed significantly greater (p<0.05) mass of tracer active ingredient (A.I.) deposited onto target surfaces at various orientations as compared both to a similar uncharged spray nozzle (0 mC/kg) and to a conventional hydraulic-atomizing nozzle. Per unit mass of A.I. dispensed toward targets, for example, A.I. mass deposited by AAIC electrostatic sprays onto difficult to coat backsides was 6.1-times greater than for similar uncharged sprays and 29.0-times greater than for conventional hydraulic-nozzle sprays. Even at the 56% reduction in peracetic acid sanitizer A.I. dispensed by AAIC electrostatic spray applications, they achieved equal or greater CFU population reductions of Salmonella on most target orientations and materials as compared to uncharged sprays and conventional full-rate hydraulic

Electrostatic application of antimicrobial sprays to sanitize food handling and processing surfaces for enhanced food safety

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyons, Shawn M; Harrison, Mark A [Food Science and Technology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-2610 (United States); Law, S Edward, E-mail: edlaw@engr.uga.edu [Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, Applied Electrostatics Laboratory www.ael.engr.uga.edu, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-4435 (United States)

2011-06-23

Human illnesses and deaths caused by foodborne pathogens (e.g., Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, etc.) are of increasing concern globally in maintaining safe food supplies. At various stages of the food production, processing and supply chain antimicrobial agents are required to sanitize contact surfaces. Additionally, during outbreaks of contagious pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., H1N1 influenza), public health requires timely decontamination of extensive surfaces within public schools, mass transit systems, etc. Prior publications verify effectiveness of air-assisted, induction-charged (AAIC) electrostatic spraying of various chemical and biological agents to protect on-farm production of food crops...typically doubling droplet deposition efficiency with concomitant increases in biological control efficacy. Within a biosafety facility this present work evaluated the AAIC electrostatic-spraying process for application of antimicrobial liquids onto various pathogen-inoculated food processing and handling surfaces as a food safety intervention strategy. Fluoroanalysis of AAIC electrostatic sprays (-7.2 mC/kg charge-to-mass ratio) showed significantly greater (p<0.05) mass of tracer active ingredient (A.I.) deposited onto target surfaces at various orientations as compared both to a similar uncharged spray nozzle (0 mC/kg) and to a conventional hydraulic-atomizing nozzle. Per unit mass of A.I. dispensed toward targets, for example, A.I. mass deposited by AAIC electrostatic sprays onto difficult to coat backsides was 6.1-times greater than for similar uncharged sprays and 29.0-times greater than for conventional hydraulic-nozzle sprays. Even at the 56% reduction in peracetic acid sanitizer A.I. dispensed by AAIC electrostatic spray applications, they achieved equal or greater CFU population reductions of Salmonella on most target orientations and materials as compared to uncharged sprays and conventional full-rate hydraulic

Evaluation of Breaking Performance in Vibration-Assisted Electrostatic Surface Induction Actuator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nemoto, Takeru; Zsurzsan, Tiberiu-Gabriel; Yamamoto, Akio

2015-01-01

This paper evaluates breaking performance of an electrostatic surface induction actuator. The actuator is equipped with piezoelectric vibrator such that the friction between the slider and the stator electrodes can be dramatically reduced by squeeze-film effect. In such an actuator, the friction...... conditions. The result clearly shows the effect of friction change in breaking performance of the actuator....

Lunar electrostatic effects and protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Yongwei; Yuan, Qingyun; Xiong, Jiuliang

2013-01-01

The space environment and features on the moon surface are factors in strong electrostatic electrification. Static electricity will be produced in upon friction between lunar soil and detectors or astronauts on the lunar surface. Lunar electrostatic environment effects from lunar exploration equipment are very harmful. Lunar dust with electrostatic charge may enter the equipment or even cover the instruments. It can affect the normal performance of moon detectors. Owing to the huge environmental differences between the moon and the earth, the electrostatic protection technology on the earth can not be applied. In this paper, we review the electrostatic characteristics of lunar dust, its effects on aerospace equipment and moon static elimination technologies. It was concluded that the effect of charged lunar dust on detectors and astronauts should be completely researched as soon as possible.

Laboratory Measurements of Electrostatic Solitary Structures Generated by Beam Injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lefebvre, Bertrand; Chen, Li-Jen; Gekelman, Walter; Pribyl, Patrick; Vincena, Stephen; Kintner, Paul; Pickett, Jolene; Chiang, Franklin; Judy, Jack

2010-01-01

Electrostatic solitary structures are generated by injection of a suprathermal electron beam parallel to the magnetic field in a laboratory plasma. Electric microprobes with tips smaller than the Debye length (λ De ) enabled the measurement of positive potential pulses with half-widths 4 to 25λ De and velocities 1 to 3 times the background electron thermal speed. Nonlinear wave packets of similar velocities and scales are also observed, indicating that the two descend from the same mode which is consistent with the electrostatic whistler mode and result from an instability likely to be driven by field-aligned currents.

Effect of the electrostatic surface potential on the oligomerization of full-length human recombinant prion protein at single-molecule level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Bin; Xu, Bingqian, E-mail: bxu@engr.uga.edu [Single Molecule Study Laboratory, College of Engineering and Nanoscale Science, and Engineering Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30605 (United States); Lou, Zhichao [Single Molecule Study Laboratory, College of Engineering and Nanoscale Science, and Engineering Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30605 (United States); College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Zhang, Haiqian [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China)

2016-03-21

The electrostatic surface potential (ESP) of prion oligomers has critical influences on the aggregating processes of the prion molecules. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) and structural simulation were combined to investigate the molecular basis of the full-length human recombinant prion oligomerization on mica surfaces. The high resolution non-intrusive AFM images showed that the prion oligomers formed different patterns on mica surfaces at different buffer pH values. The basic binding units for the large oligomers were determined to be prion momoners (Ms), dimers (Ds), and trimers (Ts). The forming of the D and T units happened through the binding of hydrophobic β-sheets of the M units. In contrast, the α-helices of these M, D, and T units were the binding areas for the formation of large oligomers. At pH 4.5, the binding units M, D, and T showed clear polarized ESP distributions on the surface domains, while at pH 7.0, they showed more evenly distributed ESPs. Based on the conformations of oligomers observed from AFM images, the D and T units were more abundantly on mica surface at pH 4.5 because the ESP re-distribution of M units helped to stabilize these larger oligomers. The amino acid side chains involved in the binding interfaces were stabilized by hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. The detailed analysis of the charged side chains at pH 4.5 indicated that the polarized ESPs induced the aggregations among M, D, and T to form larger oligomers. Therefore, the hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions worked together to form the stabilized prion oligomers.

Effect of the electrostatic surface potential on the oligomerization of full-length human recombinant prion protein at single-molecule level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Bin; Xu, Bingqian; Lou, Zhichao; Zhang, Haiqian

2016-01-01

The electrostatic surface potential (ESP) of prion oligomers has critical influences on the aggregating processes of the prion molecules. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) and structural simulation were combined to investigate the molecular basis of the full-length human recombinant prion oligomerization on mica surfaces. The high resolution non-intrusive AFM images showed that the prion oligomers formed different patterns on mica surfaces at different buffer pH values. The basic binding units for the large oligomers were determined to be prion momoners (Ms), dimers (Ds), and trimers (Ts). The forming of the D and T units happened through the binding of hydrophobic β-sheets of the M units. In contrast, the α-helices of these M, D, and T units were the binding areas for the formation of large oligomers. At pH 4.5, the binding units M, D, and T showed clear polarized ESP distributions on the surface domains, while at pH 7.0, they showed more evenly distributed ESPs. Based on the conformations of oligomers observed from AFM images, the D and T units were more abundantly on mica surface at pH 4.5 because the ESP re-distribution of M units helped to stabilize these larger oligomers. The amino acid side chains involved in the binding interfaces were stabilized by hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. The detailed analysis of the charged side chains at pH 4.5 indicated that the polarized ESPs induced the aggregations among M, D, and T to form larger oligomers. Therefore, the hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions worked together to form the stabilized prion oligomers.

Effect of the electrostatic surface potential on the oligomerization of full-length human recombinant prion protein at single-molecule level

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bin; Lou, Zhichao; Zhang, Haiqian; Xu, Bingqian

2016-03-01

The electrostatic surface potential (ESP) of prion oligomers has critical influences on the aggregating processes of the prion molecules. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) and structural simulation were combined to investigate the molecular basis of the full-length human recombinant prion oligomerization on mica surfaces. The high resolution non-intrusive AFM images showed that the prion oligomers formed different patterns on mica surfaces at different buffer pH values. The basic binding units for the large oligomers were determined to be prion momoners (Ms), dimers (Ds), and trimers (Ts). The forming of the D and T units happened through the binding of hydrophobic β-sheets of the M units. In contrast, the α-helices of these M, D, and T units were the binding areas for the formation of large oligomers. At pH 4.5, the binding units M, D, and T showed clear polarized ESP distributions on the surface domains, while at pH 7.0, they showed more evenly distributed ESPs. Based on the conformations of oligomers observed from AFM images, the D and T units were more abundantly on mica surface at pH 4.5 because the ESP re-distribution of M units helped to stabilize these larger oligomers. The amino acid side chains involved in the binding interfaces were stabilized by hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. The detailed analysis of the charged side chains at pH 4.5 indicated that the polarized ESPs induced the aggregations among M, D, and T to form larger oligomers. Therefore, the hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions worked together to form the stabilized prion oligomers.

Dynamics, Surface Electrostatics and Phase Properties of Nanoscale Curved Lipid Bilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Koolivand, Amir

Surface electrostatic potential of a lipid bilayer governs many vital functions of living cells. Several classes of proteins are known of exhibiting strong binding preferences to curved lipid bilayer surfaces. In this project we employed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of a recently introduced phospholipid (IMTSL-PTE) bearing a pH-sensitive nitroxide covalently attached to the lipid head group to measure the surface electrostatics of the lipid membrane and nanopore-confined lipid bilayers as a function of the bilayer curvature. The pKa of the ionizable group of this lipid-based spin probe is reporting on the bilayer surface electrostatics potential by changes in the EPR spectra. Specifically, both rotational dynamics and magnetic parameters of the nitroxide are affected by the probe protonation. Effect of curvature on the surface electrostatic potential and dynamics of lipid bilayer was studied for POPG and DMPG unilamellar vesicles (ULVs). It was found that the magnitude of the negative surface electrostatic potential increased upon decrease in the vesicle diameter for the bilayers in the fluid phase; however, no significant changes were observed for DMPG ULVs in a gel phase. We speculate that biologically relevant fluid bilayer phase allows for a larger variability in the lipid packing density in the lipid polar head group region than a more ordered gel phase and it is likely that the lipid flip-flop is responsible for pH equilibration of IMTSL-PTE. The kinetic EPR study of nitroxide reduction showed that the rate of flip-flop is in the order of 10-5 s-1. The flip-flop rate constant increases when vesicle size deceases. Oxygen permeability measured by X-ban EPR decreases in higher curved vesicles---an observation that is consistent with a tighter packing in smaller vesicles. Partitioning of a small nitroxide molecule TEMPO into ULVs was measured by X-band (9 GHz) and W-band (95 GHz) EPR spectroscopy. The partitioning coefficient of this probe in the lipid

Strong coupling electrostatics for randomly charged surfaces: antifragility and effective interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghodrat, Malihe; Naji, Ali; Komaie-Moghaddam, Haniyeh; Podgornik, Rudolf

2015-05-07

We study the effective interaction mediated by strongly coupled Coulomb fluids between dielectric surfaces carrying quenched, random monopolar charges with equal mean and variance, both when the Coulomb fluid consists only of mobile multivalent counterions and when it consists of an asymmetric ionic mixture containing multivalent and monovalent (salt) ions in equilibrium with an aqueous bulk reservoir. We analyze the consequences that follow from the interplay between surface charge disorder, dielectric and salt image effects, and the strong electrostatic coupling that results from multivalent counterions on the distribution of these ions and the effective interaction pressure they mediate between the surfaces. In a dielectrically homogeneous system, we show that the multivalent counterions are attracted towards the surfaces with a singular, disorder-induced potential that diverges logarithmically on approach to the surfaces, creating a singular but integrable counterion density profile that exhibits an algebraic divergence at the surfaces with an exponent that depends on the surface charge (disorder) variance. This effect drives the system towards a state of lower thermal 'disorder', one that can be described by a renormalized temperature, exhibiting thus a remarkable antifragility. In the presence of an interfacial dielectric discontinuity, the singular behavior of counterion density at the surfaces is removed but multivalent counterions are still accumulated much more strongly close to randomly charged surfaces as compared with uniformly charged ones. The interaction pressure acting on the surfaces displays in general a highly non-monotonic behavior as a function of the inter-surface separation with a prominent regime of attraction at small to intermediate separations. This attraction is caused directly by the combined effects from charge disorder and strong coupling electrostatics of multivalent counterions, which dominate the surface-surface repulsion due to

Electrostatic Properties of Selected Personal Protective Equipment Regarding Explosion Hazard

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Jachowicz

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In industries such as the mining, petrochemistry or power industries, personal protective equipment is often used in explosive atmospheres. What causes the occurrence of explosive hazards is ever-present in the work environment they include, electrostatic phenomena as well as the build-up of electrical charges on the surface of the protective equipment used. This paper presents the results of studies which were aimed at determining the fundamental electrostatic parameters of protective helmets as well as eye and face protection, surface resistance and the voltage of electrostatic fields. Examinations on the typical structure of the above mentioned equipment was conducted including the variable values of ambient humidity, which can occur in the working environment and with the use of various types of materials used to generate a charge. The adopted methods and testing equipment have been presented. Using the current, general requirements regarding the electrostatic properties of materials, the examined helmets and eye protection were assessed for their use in explosive atmospheres.

Electro-osmosis over inhomogeneously charged surfaces in presence of non-electrostatic ion-ion interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Uddipta; Chakraborty, Suman

2016-06-01

In this study, we attempt to bring out a generalized formulation for electro-osmotic flows over inhomogeneously charged surfaces in presence of non-electrostatic ion-ion interactions. To this end, we start with modified electro-chemical potential of the individual species and subsequently use it to derive modified Nernst-Planck equation accounting for the ionic fluxes generated because of the presence of non-electrostatic potential. We establish what we refer to as the Poisson-Helmholtz-Nernst-Planck equations, coupled with the Navier-Stokes equations, to describe the complete transport process. Our analysis shows that the presence of non-electrostatic interactions between the ions results in an excess body force on the fluid, and modifies the osmotic pressure as well, which has hitherto remained unexplored. We further apply our analysis to a simple geometry, in an effort to work out the Smoluchowski slip velocity for thin electrical double layer limits. To this end, we employ singular perturbation and develop a general framework for the asymptotic analysis. Our calculations reveal that the final expression for slip velocity remains the same as that without accounting for non-electrostatic interactions. However, the presence of non-electrostatic interactions along with ion specificity can significantly change the quantitative behavior of Smoluchowski slip velocity. We subsequently demonstrate that the presence of non-electrostatic interactions may significantly alter the effective interfacial potential, also termed as the "Zeta potential." Our analysis can potentially act as a guide towards the prediction and possibly quantitative determination of the implications associated with the existence of non-electrostatic potential, in an electrokinetic transport process.

Density functional calculation of electronic surface structure and Fe adsorption on ZnO (0001) and (000 anti 1)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pal, Sougata; Jasper-Toennies, Torben; Hack, Michael; Pehlke, Eckhard [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Universitaet Kiel (Germany)

2011-07-01

The structure and electronic properties of the ZnO(0001) and ZnO(000 anti 1) surfaces as studied by density functional calculations are presented. The stability of the surface has already been investigated by various groups. The electronic surface band structure, however, in particular the existence of surface states and the differences between experimental band dispersion for both terminations, still appears to pose open problems. To address these issues, we compare Kohn Sham band structures and electrostatic potentials close to the surface for the relaxed (1 x 1)-surface, (2 x 2) vacancy reconstructions, and surfaces with pits. In particular the effect of the bending of the electrostatic potential at the surface on the eigenstates is quantified. Comparing the adsorption energies of Fe atoms for various adsorption sites on ZnO(000 anti 1), the fcc hollow position turned out to be energetically favorable. The oxidation state of the Fe atom is derived from the projected density of states.

Bohm potential effect on the propagation of electrostatic surface wave in semi-bounded quantum plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Myoung-Jae [Department of Physics, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763 (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Young-Dae, E-mail: ydjung@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Applied Physics and Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Kyunggi-Do 15588 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, MC 0407, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0407 (United States)

2017-02-12

High frequency electrostatic wave propagation in a dense and semi-bounded electron quantum plasma is investigated with consideration of the Bohm potential. The dispersion relation for the surface mode of quantum plasma is derived and numerically analyzed. We found that the quantum effect enhances the frequency of the wave especially in the high wave number regime. However, the frequency of surface wave is found to be always lower than that of the bulk wave for the same quantum wave number. The group velocity of the surface wave for various quantum wave number is also obtained. - Highlights: • High frequency electrostatic wave propagation is investigated in a dense semi-bounded quantum plasma. • The dispersion relation for the surface mode of quantum plasma is derived and numerically analyzed. • The quantum effect enhances the frequency of the wave especially in the high wave number regime. • The frequency of surface wave is found to be always lower than that of the bulk wave. • The group velocity of the surface wave for various quantum wave number is also obtained.

Structural phylogeny by profile extraction and multiple superimposition using electrostatic congruence as a discriminator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chakraborty, Sandeep [Tata Inst. of Fundamental Research, Bombay (India); Rao, Basuthkar J. [Tata Inst. of Fundamental Research, Bombay (India); Baker, Nathan A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Asgeirsson, Bjarni [Univ. of Iceland, Reykjavik (Iceland)

2013-04-01

Phylogenetic analysis of proteins using multiple sequence alignment (MSA) assumes an underlying evolutionary relationship in these proteins which occasionally remains undetected due to considerable sequence divergence. Structural alignment programs have been developed to unravel such fuzzy relationships. However, none of these structure based methods have used electrostatic properties to discriminate between spatially equivalent residues. We present a methodology for MSA of a set of related proteins with known structures using electrostatic properties as an additional discriminator (STEEP). STEEP first extracts a profile, then generates a multiple structural superimposition providing a consolidated spatial framework for comparing residues and finally emits the MSA. Residues that are aligned differently by including or excluding electrostatic properties can be targeted by directed evolution experiments to transform the enzymatic properties of one protein into another. We have compared STEEP results to those obtained from a MSA program (ClustalW) and a structural alignment method (MUSTANG) for chymotrypsin serine proteases. Subsequently, we used PhyML to generate phylogenetic trees for the serine and metallo-β-lactamase superfamilies from the STEEP generated MSA, and corroborated the accepted relationships in these superfamilies. We have observed that STEEP acts as a functional classifier when electrostatic congruence is used as a discriminator, and thus identifies potential targets for directed evolution experiments. In summary, STEEP is unique among phylogenetic methods for its ability to use electrostatic congruence to specify mutations that might be the source of the functional divergence in a protein family. Based on our results, we also hypothesize that the active site and its close vicinity contains enough information to infer the correct phylogeny for related proteins.

Multi-dimensional instability of electrostatic solitary structures in magnetized nonthermal dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Russel, S.M.; Mendoza-Briceno, C.A.; Alam, M.N.; Datta, T.K.; Das, A.K.

1999-05-01

A rigorous theoretical investigation has been made of multi-dimensional instability of obliquely propagating electrostatic solitary structures in a hot magnetized nonthermal dusty plasma which consists of a negatively charged hot dust fluid, Boltzmann distributed electrons, and nonthermally distributed ions. The Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation for the electrostatic solitary structures that exist in such a dusty plasma system is derived by the reductive perturbation method. The multi-dimensional instability of these solitary waves is also studied by the small-k (long wavelength plane wave) perturbation expansion method. The nature of these solitary structures, the instability criterion, and their growth rate depending on dust-temperature, external magnetic field, and obliqueness are discussed. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma situations are briefly mentioned. (author)

Electrostatic fluctuations in soap films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, D.S.; Horgan, R.R.

2002-01-01

A field theory to describe electrostatic interactions in soap films, described by electric multilayers with a generalized thermodynamic surface-charging mechanism, is studied. In the limit where the electrostatic interactions are weak, this theory is exactly soluble. The theory incorporates in a consistent way, the surface-charging mechanism and the fluctuations in the electrostatic field that correspond to the zero-frequency component of the van der Waals force. It is shown that these terms lead to a Casimir-like attraction that can be sufficiently large to explain the transition between the common black film to a Newton black film

Entropic and Electrostatic Effects on the Folding Free Energy of a Surface-Attached Biomolecule: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Herschel M.; Vallée-Bélisle, Alexis; Ricci, Francesco; Makarov, Dmitrii E.; Plaxco, Kevin W.

2012-01-01

Surface-tethered biomolecules play key roles in many biological processes and biotechnologies. However, while the physical consequences of such surface attachment have seen significant theoretical study, to date this issue has seen relatively little experimental investigation. In response we present here a quantitative experimental and theoretical study of the extent to which attachment to a charged –but otherwise apparently inert– surface alters the folding free energy of a simple biomolecule. Specifically, we have measured the folding free energy of a DNA stem loop both in solution and when site-specifically attached to a negatively charged, hydroxyl-alkane-coated gold surface. We find that, whereas surface attachment is destabilizing at low ionic strength it becomes stabilizing at ionic strengths above ~130 mM. This behavior presumably reflects two competing mechanisms: excluded volume effects, which stabilize the folded conformation by reducing the entropy of the unfolded state, and electrostatics, which, at lower ionic strengths, destabilizes the more compact folded state via repulsion from the negatively charged surface. To test this hypothesis we have employed existing theories of the electrostatics of surface-bound polyelectrolytes and the entropy of surface-bound polymers to model both effects. Despite lacking any fitted parameters, these theoretical models quantitatively fit our experimental results, suggesting that, for this system, current knowledge of both surface electrostatics and excluded volume effects is reasonably complete and accurate. PMID:22239220

Edutainment Science: Electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Ahlers, Carl

2009-01-01

Electrostatics should find a special place in all primary school science curricula. It is a great learning area that reinforces the basics that underpin electricity and atomic structure. Furthermore, it has many well documented hands-on activities. Unfortunately, the "traditional" electrostatics equipment such as PVC rods, woollen cloths, rabbit…

Highly Tunable Electrostatic Nanomechanical Resonators

KAUST Repository

Kazmi, Syed Naveed Riaz

2017-11-24

There has been significant interest towards highly tunable resonators for on-demand frequency selection in modern communication systems. Here, we report highly tunable electrostatically actuated silicon-based nanomechanical resonators. In-plane doubly-clamped bridges, slightly curved as shallow arches due to residual stresses, are fabricated using standard electron beam lithography and surface nanomachining. The resonators are designed such that the effect of mid-plane stretching dominates the softening effect of the electrostatic force. This is achieved by controlling the gap-to-thickness ratio and by exploiting the initial curvature of the structure from fabrication. We demonstrate considerable increase in the resonance frequency of nanoresonators with the dc bias voltages up to 108% for 180 nm thick structures with a transduction gap of 1 $mu$m separating them from the driving/sensing electrodes. The experimental results are found in good agreement with those of a nonlinear analytical model based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. As a potential application, we demonstrate a tunable narrow band-pass filter using two electrically coupled nanomechanical arch resonators with varied dc bias voltages.

Highly Tunable Electrostatic Nanomechanical Resonators

KAUST Repository

Kazmi, Syed Naveed Riaz; Hajjaj, Amal Z.; Hafiz, Md Abdullah Al; Da Costa, Pedro M. F. J.; Younis, Mohammad I.

2017-01-01

There has been significant interest towards highly tunable resonators for on-demand frequency selection in modern communication systems. Here, we report highly tunable electrostatically actuated silicon-based nanomechanical resonators. In-plane doubly-clamped bridges, slightly curved as shallow arches due to residual stresses, are fabricated using standard electron beam lithography and surface nanomachining. The resonators are designed such that the effect of mid-plane stretching dominates the softening effect of the electrostatic force. This is achieved by controlling the gap-to-thickness ratio and by exploiting the initial curvature of the structure from fabrication. We demonstrate considerable increase in the resonance frequency of nanoresonators with the dc bias voltages up to 108% for 180 nm thick structures with a transduction gap of 1 $mu$m separating them from the driving/sensing electrodes. The experimental results are found in good agreement with those of a nonlinear analytical model based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. As a potential application, we demonstrate a tunable narrow band-pass filter using two electrically coupled nanomechanical arch resonators with varied dc bias voltages.

RNA folding: structure prediction, folding kinetics and ion electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Zhijie; Zhang, Wenbing; Shi, Yazhou; Wang, Fenghua

2015-01-01

Beyond the "traditional" functions such as gene storage, transport and protein synthesis, recent discoveries reveal that RNAs have important "new" biological functions including the RNA silence and gene regulation of riboswitch. Such functions of noncoding RNAs are strongly coupled to the RNA structures and proper structure change, which naturally leads to the RNA folding problem including structure prediction and folding kinetics. Due to the polyanionic nature of RNAs, RNA folding structure, stability and kinetics are strongly coupled to the ion condition of solution. The main focus of this chapter is to review the recent progress in the three major aspects in RNA folding problem: structure prediction, folding kinetics and ion electrostatics. This chapter will introduce both the recent experimental and theoretical progress, while emphasize the theoretical modelling on the three aspects in RNA folding.

Finite Element Analysis and Lightweight Optimization Design on Main Frame Structure of Large Electrostatic Precipitator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuewen Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The geometric modeling and finite element modeling of the whole structure of an electrostatic precipitator and its main components consisting of top beam, column, bottom beam, and bracket were finished. The strength calculation was completed. As a result, the design of the whole structure of the electrostatic precipitator and the main components were reasonable, the structure was in a balance state, its working condition was safe and reliable, its stress variation was even, and the stress distribution was regular. The maximum von Mises stress of the whole structure is 20.14 MPa. The safety factor was large, resulting in a waste of material. An optimization mathematical model is established. Using the ANSYS first-order method, the dimension parameters of the main frame structure of the electrostatic precipitator were optimized. After optimization, more reasonable structural design parameters were obtained. The model weight is 72,344.11 kg, the optimal weight is 49,239.35 kg, and the revised weight is 53,645.68 kg. Compared with the model weight, the optimal weight decreased by 23,104.76 kg and the objective function decreased by 31.94%, while the revised weight decreased by 18,698.43 kg and the objective function decreased by 25.84%.

Electrostatic force microscopy on oriented graphite surfaces: coexistence of insulating and conducting behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yonghua; Muñoz, M; Steplecaru, C S; Hao, Cheng; Bai, Ming; Garcia, N; Schindler, K; Esquinazi, P

2006-08-18

We present measurements of the electric potential fluctuations on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using electrostatic force and atomic force microscopy. Micrometric domainlike potential distributions are observed even when the sample is grounded. Such potential distributions are unexpected given the good metallic conductivity of graphite because the surface should be an equipotential. Our results indicate the coexistence of regions with "metalliclike" and "insulatinglike" behaviors showing large potential fluctuations of the order of 0.25 V. In lower quality graphite, this effect is not observed. Experiments are performed in Ar and air atmospheres.

GRASP2: visualization, surface properties, and electrostatics of macromolecular structures and sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrey, Donald; Honig, Barry

2003-01-01

The widespread use of the original version of GRASP revealed the importance of the visualization of physicochemical and structural properties on the molecular surface. This chapter describes a new version of GRASP that contains many new capabilities. In terms of analysis tools, the most notable new features are sequence and structure analysis and alignment tools and the graphical integration of sequence and structural information. Not all the new GRASP2 could be described here and more capabilities are continually being added. An on-line manual, details on obtaining the software, and technical notes about the program and the Troll software library can be found at the Honig laboratory Web site (http://trantor.bioc.columbia.edu).

Surface Electrostatic Potential and Water Orientation in the presence of Sodium Octanoate Dilute Monolayers Studied by Means of Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardino, Kalil; de Moura, André F

2015-10-13

A series of atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were performed in the present investigation to assess the spontaneous formation of surfactant monolayers of sodium octanoate at the water-vacuum interface. The surfactant surface coverage increased until a saturation threshold was achieved, after which any further surfactant addition led to the formation of micellar aggregates within the solution. The saturated films were not densely packed, as might be expected for short-chained surfactants, and all films regardless of the surface coverage presented surfactant molecules with the same ordering pattern, namely, with the ionic heads toward the aqueous solution and the tails lying nearly parallel to the interface. The major contributions to the electrostatic surface potential came from the charged heads and the counterion distribution, which nearly canceled out each other. The balance between the oppositely charged ions rendered the electrostatic contributions from water meaningful, amounting to ca. 10% of the contributions arising from the ionic species. And even the aliphatic tails, whose atoms bear relatively small partial atomic charges as compared to the polar molecules and molecular fragments, contributed with ca. 20% of the total electrostatic surface potential of the systems under investigation. Although the aliphatic tails were not so orderly arranged as in a compact film, the C-H bonds assumed a preferential orientation, leading to an increased contribution to the electrostatic properties of the interface. The most prominent feature arising from the partitioning of the electrostatic potential into individual contributions was the long-range ordering of the water molecules. This ordering of the water molecules produced a repulsive dipole-dipole interaction between the two interfaces, which increased with the surface coverage. Only for a water layer wider than 10 nm was true bulk behavior observed, and the repulsive dipole-dipole interaction faded away.

The Influence of Three-Layer Knitted Fabrics’ Structure on Electrostatic and Comfort Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra VARNAITĖ ŽURAVLIOVA

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In our times, when electricity and electrical devices are around us every day, it is very important to be protected from electrostatic discharge. The best protection from electric charge dissipation provides conductive textile materials. For the last few decades fine and flexible conductive yarns were developed, which ensure very good electrostatic properties. Unfortunately, due to their chemical nature, these yarns do not distinguish good comfort properties. The main purpose of development of such textiles is to determine the influence of conductive yarns and hollow fiber yarns arrangements in the middle layer of the three layer weft-knitted fabrics to electrostatic and comfort properties. So, in order to have flexible textile materials with good electrostatic and comfort properties, multifunctional three layer weft-knitted fabrics of combined pattern were designed and manufactured for this research work. Two groups of polyester based three layer knitted fabrics with different arrangement of conductive yarns (such as carbon core yarn and polyester silver coated yarn and polyester yarn of special design (Coolmax®, Thermolite® were investigated. The parameters of electrostatic characteristics, such as surface and vertical resistances as well as charge decay properties were measured. The results have showed that all tested fabrics have excellent shielding properties. The main influence on the electrostatic properties of tested fabrics has the arrangement of conductive carbon core yarns inserted in the knits. In order to evaluate the comfort of knitted fabrics the air permeability, hygroscopicity, time of absorption and drying degree of fabrics were evaluated. It was determined, that the values of comfort parameters depend on the quantity and distribution of Coolmax® and Thermolite® yarns in the fabrics.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.4.2235

Factors affecting the electrostatic charge of ceramic powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorite, I.; Romero, J.; Fernandez, J. F.

2011-01-01

The phenomenon of electrostatic charge in ceramic powders takes place when the particle surfaces enter in contact between them or with the containers. The accumulation of electrostatic charge is of relevance in ceramic powders in view of their insulating character and the risk of explosions during the material handling. In this work the main factors that affect the appearance of intrinsic charge and tribo-charge in ceramic powder have been studied. In ceramic powders of alumina it has been verified that the smallest particle sizes present an increase of the electrostatic charge of negative polarity. A correlation has been observed between the nature of the OH -surface groups and the electrostatic charge. The intrinsic charge and the tribocharge in ceramic powders can be diminished by compensating the surface groups that support the charge. The dry dispersion of nanoparticles on microparticles allows surface charge compensation with a noticeable modification of the powder agglomeration. (Author) 19 refs.

Quantitative 3D-KPFM imaging with simultaneous electrostatic force and force gradient detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, L; Rodriguez, B J; Okatan, M B; Li, Q; Kravenchenko, I I; Lavrik, N V; Kalinin, S V; Jesse, S

2015-01-01

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is a powerful characterization technique for imaging local electrochemical and electrostatic potential distributions and has been applied across a broad range of materials and devices. Proper interpretation of the local KPFM data can be complicated, however, by convolution of the true surface potential under the tip with additional contributions due to long range capacitive coupling between the probe (e.g. cantilever, cone, tip apex) and the sample under test. In this work, band excitation (BE)-KPFM is used to negate such effects. In contrast to traditional single frequency KPFM, multifrequency BE-KPFM is shown to afford dual sensitivity to both the electrostatic force and the force gradient detection, analogous to simultaneous amplitude modulated and frequency modulated KPFM imaging. BE-KPFM is demonstrated on a Pt/Au/SiO x test structure and electrostatic force gradient detection is found to lead to an improved lateral resolution compared to electrostatic force detection. Finally, a 3D-KPFM imaging technique is developed. Force volume (FV) BE-KPFM allows the tip–sample distance dependence of the electrostatic interactions (force and force gradient) to be recorded at each point across the sample surface. As such, FVBE-KPFM provides a much needed pathway towards complete tip–sample capacitive de-convolution in KPFM measurements and will enable quantitative surface potential measurements with nanoscale resolution. (paper)

Electrostatic micromotor based on ferroelectric ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Baginsky, I. L.; Kostsov, E. G.

2004-11-01

A new electrostatic micromotor is described that utilizes the electromechanical energy conversion principle earlier described by the authors. The electromechanical energy conversion is based on reversible electrostatic rolling of thin metallic films (petals) on a ferroelectric surface. The motor's active media are layers of ferroelectric ceramics (about 100 µm in thickness). The characteristics of the electrostatic rolling of the petals on different ceramic surfaces are studied, as well as the dynamic characteristics of the micromotors. It is shown that the use of antiferroelectric material allows one to reach a specific energy capacitance comparable to that of the micromotors based on ferroelectric films and to achieve a specific power of 30-300 µW mm-2.

Understanding and Manipulating Electrostatic Fields at the Protein-Protein Interface Using Vibrational Spectroscopy and Continuum Electrostatics Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Andrew W; Webb, Lauren J

2015-11-05

Biological function emerges in large part from the interactions of biomacromolecules in the complex and dynamic environment of the living cell. For this reason, macromolecular interactions in biological systems are now a major focus of interest throughout the biochemical and biophysical communities. The affinity and specificity of macromolecular interactions are the result of both structural and electrostatic factors. Significant advances have been made in characterizing structural features of stable protein-protein interfaces through the techniques of modern structural biology, but much less is understood about how electrostatic factors promote and stabilize specific functional macromolecular interactions over all possible choices presented to a given molecule in a crowded environment. In this Feature Article, we describe how vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy is being applied to measure electrostatic fields at protein-protein interfaces, focusing on measurements of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins of the Ras superfamily binding with structurally related but functionally distinct downstream effector proteins. In VSE spectroscopy, spectral shifts of a probe oscillator's energy are related directly to that probe's local electrostatic environment. By performing this experiment repeatedly throughout a protein-protein interface, an experimental map of measured electrostatic fields generated at that interface is determined. These data can be used to rationalize selective binding of similarly structured proteins in both in vitro and in vivo environments. Furthermore, these data can be used to compare to computational predictions of electrostatic fields to explore the level of simulation detail that is necessary to accurately predict our experimental findings.

PCE: web tools to compute protein continuum electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Miteva, Maria A.; Tufféry, Pierre; Villoutreix, Bruno O.

2005-01-01

PCE (protein continuum electrostatics) is an online service for protein electrostatic computations presently based on the MEAD (macroscopic electrostatics with atomic detail) package initially developed by D. Bashford [(2004) Front Biosci., 9, 1082–1099]. This computer method uses a macroscopic electrostatic model for the calculation of protein electrostatic properties, such as pKa values of titratable groups and electrostatic potentials. The MEAD package generates electrostatic energies via finite difference solution to the Poisson–Boltzmann equation. Users submit a PDB file and PCE returns potentials and pKa values as well as color (static or animated) figures displaying electrostatic potentials mapped on the molecular surface. This service is intended to facilitate electrostatics analyses of proteins and thereby broaden the accessibility to continuum electrostatics to the biological community. PCE can be accessed at . PMID:15980492

Characteristics of the resonant instability of surface electrostatic-ion-cyclotron waves in a semi-bounded warm magnetized dusty plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Woo-Pyo [Department of Electronics Engineering, Catholic University of Daegu, Hayang, 38430 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Young-Dae, E-mail: ydjung@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Applied Physics and Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Kyunggi-Do 15588 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180-3590 (United States)

2016-03-11

The influence of magnetic field and dust rotation on the resonant instability of surface electrostatic-ion-cyclotron wave is kinetically investigated in a semi-bounded warm magnetized dusty plasma. The dispersion relation and the temporal growth rate of the surface electrostatic-ion-cyclotron wave are derived by the specular-reflection boundary condition including the magnetic field and dust rotation effects. It is found that the instability domain decreases with an increase of the rotation frequency of elongated dust grain. It is also found that the dependence of the propagation wave number on the temporal growth rate is more significant for small ion cyclotron frequencies. In addition, it is shown that the scaled growth rate increases with an increase of the strength of magnetic field. The variation of the domain and magnitude of temporal growth rate due to the change of plasma parameters is also discussed. - Highlights: • The resonant instability of surface electrostatic-ion-cyclotron wave is investigated in a semi-bounded magnetized dusty plasma. • The dispersion relation and the temporal growth rate are derived by the specular-reflection condition. • The influence of magnetic field and dust rotation on the resonant instability is discussed.

Response of an electrostatic probe for a right cylindrical spacer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rerup, T; Crichton, George C; McAllister, Iain Wilson

1994-01-01

During the last decade many experimental studies of surface charge phenomena have been undertaken employing right cylindrical spacers. Measurement of the surface charge was performed using small electrostatic field probes to scan across the dielectric surface. Charges are electrostatically induced...

Development of Electrostatically Clean Solar Array Panels

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Theodore G.

2000-01-01

Certain missions require Electrostatically Clean Solar Array (ECSA) panels to establish a favorable environment for the operation of sensitive scientific instruments. The objective of this program was to demonstrate the feasibility of an ECSA panel that minimizes panel surface potential below 100mV in LEO and GEO charged particle environments, prevents exposure of solar cell voltage and panel insulating surfaces to the ambient environment, and provides an equipotential, grounded structure surrounding the entire panel. An ECSA panel design was developed that uses a Front Side Aperture-Shield (FSA) that covers all inter-cell areas with a single graphite composite laminate, composite edge clips for connecting the FSA to the panel substrate, and built-in tabs that interconnect the FSA to conductive coated coverglasses using a conductive adhesive. Analysis indicated the ability of the design to meet the ECSA requirements. Qualification coupons and a 0.5m x 0.5m prototype panel were fabricated and tested for photovoltaic performance and electrical grounding before and after exposure to acoustic and thermal cycling environments. The results show the feasibility of achieving electrostatic cleanliness with a small penalty in mass, photovoltaic performance and cost, with a design is structurally robust and compatible with a wide range of current solar panel technologies.

Nonlinear electrostatic structures in homogeneous and inhomogeneous pair-ion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmood, S.; Ur-Rehman, H.; Shah, A.; Haque, Q.

2012-01-01

The nonlinear electrostatic structures such as solitons, shocks were studied in homogeneous, unmagnetized pair-ion plasma. The dissipation in the system was taken through kinematic viscosities of both pair-ion species. The one dimensional (Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers) KdVB equation was derived using reductive perturbation method. The analytical solution of KdVB equation was obtained using tanh method. It was found that solitons and monotonic shocks structures were formed in such type of plasmas depending on the value of dissipation in the system. Both compressive and refractive structures of solitons and monotonic shocks were obtained depending on the temperatures of negative and positive ions. The oscillatory shock structures in pair-ion plasmas were also obtained and its necessary conditions of formation were discussed. The acoustic solitons were also investigated in inhomogeneous unmagnetized pair-ion plasmas. The Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) like equation with an additional term due to density gradients was obtained by employing the reductive perturbation technique. It was found that amplitude of both compressive and refractive solitons was found to be enhanced as the density gradient parameter was increased. The Landau damping rates of electrostatic ion waves were studied for non-Maxwellian or Lorentzian pair-ion plasmas. The Val sov equation was solved analytically for weak damping effects in pair-ion plasma. It was found that Landau damping rate of ion plasma wave was increased in Lorentzian case in comparison with Maxwellian pair-ion plasmas. The numerical results were obtained by taking into account the parameters of pair-ion plasmas produced in laboratory experiments in Japan. (orig./A.B.)

Holes in magneto electrostatic traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, R.

1996-01-01

We observe that in magneto electrostatic confinement (MEC) devices the magnetic surfaces are not always equipotentials. The lack of symmetry in the equipotential surfaces can result in holes in MEC plasma traps. (author)

Study on the shrinkage behavior and conductivity of silver microwires during electrostatic field assisted sintering

Science.gov (United States)

Shangguan, Lei; Ma, Liuhong; Li, Mengke; Peng, Wei; Zhong, Yinghui; Su, Yufeng; Duan, Zhiyong

2018-05-01

An electrostatic field was applied to sintering Ag microwires to achieve a more compact structure and better conductivity. The shrinkage behavior of Ag microwires shows anisotropy, since bigger particle sizes, less micropores and smoother surfaces were observed in the direction of the electrostatic field in comparsion with the direction perpendicular to the electrostatic field, and the shrinkage rate of Ag microwires in the direction of electrostatic field improves about 2.4% with the electrostatic field intensity of 800 V cm‑1. The electrostatic field assisted sintering model of Ag microwires is proposed according to thermal diffuse dynamics analysis and experimental research. Moreover, the grain size of Ag microwres sintered with electrostatic field increases with the electrostatic field intensity and reaches 113 nm when the electrostatic field intensity is 800 V cm‑1, and the resistivity decreases to 2.07  ×  10‑8 Ω m as well. This method may overcome the restriction of metal wires which fabricated by the pseudoplastic metal nanoparticle fluid and be used as interconnects in nanoimprint lithography.

Graphene nanoribbons exfoliated from graphite surface dislocation bands by electrostatic force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidorov, Anton N; Ouseph, P J; Sumanasekera, Gamini; Bansal, Tanesh

2010-01-01

We have developed a novel technique to produce long and narrow graphene ribbons with smooth edges. This technique is free of any chemical treatments and involves a combination of two steps: (i) creation of surface dislocation ribbons by high velocity clusters impacting the graphite surface and (ii) electrostatic transferring of the dislocation ribbons to a desired substrate. The width of the ribbons can be controlled by varying the impact velocity of a cluster jet stream from a gas jet impactor. The electrical transport properties were investigated on the ribbons in field effect transistor (FET) configuration. The p-type behavior observed under ambient conditions was found to be reversed upon annealing at 180 deg. C in a vacuum of 10 -7 Torr. Charge transfer effects were observed when the degassed graphene was exposed to N 2 O and NH 3 .

Surface potential domains on lamellar P3OT structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-GarcIa, B [Departamento Fisica, Facultad de Quimica (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia (Spain); Abad, J [Departamento Fisica, Facultad de Quimica (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia (Spain); Urbina, A [Departamento Electronica, TecnologIa de Computadoras y Proyectos, Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena, E-30202 Cartagena (Spain); Colchero, J [Departamento Fisica, Facultad de Quimica (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia (Spain); Palacios-Lidon, E [Departamento Fisica, Facultad de Quimica (Campus Espinardo), Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia (Spain)

2008-02-13

In this work the electrostatic properties of poly(3-octylthiophene) thin films have been studied on a nanometer scale by means of electrostatic force microscopy and Kelvin probe microscopy (KPM). The KPM images reveal that different surface contact potential domains coexist on the polymer surface. This result, together with additional capacitance measurements, indicates that the potential domains are related to the existence of dipoles due to different molecular arrangements. Finally, capacitance measurements as a function of the tip-sample bias voltage show that in all regions large band bending effects take place.

Surface potential domains on lamellar P3OT structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez-GarcIa, B; Abad, J; Urbina, A; Colchero, J; Palacios-Lidon, E

2008-01-01

In this work the electrostatic properties of poly(3-octylthiophene) thin films have been studied on a nanometer scale by means of electrostatic force microscopy and Kelvin probe microscopy (KPM). The KPM images reveal that different surface contact potential domains coexist on the polymer surface. This result, together with additional capacitance measurements, indicates that the potential domains are related to the existence of dipoles due to different molecular arrangements. Finally, capacitance measurements as a function of the tip-sample bias voltage show that in all regions large band bending effects take place

Innovative Electrostatic Adhesion Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, Tom; Macleod, Todd; Gagliano, Larry; Williams, Scott; McCoy, Brian

2015-01-01

Developing specialized Electro-Static grippers (commercially used in Semiconductor Manufacturing and in package handling) will allow gentle and secure Capture, Soft Docking, and Handling of a wide variety of materials and shapes (such as upper-stages, satellites, arrays, and possibly asteroids) without requiring physical features or cavities for a pincher or probe or using harpoons or nets. Combined with new rigid boom mechanisms or small agile chaser vehicles, flexible, high speed Electro-Static Grippers can enable compliant capture of spinning objects starting from a safe stand-off distance. Electroadhesion (EA) can enable lightweight, ultra-low-power, compliant attachment in space by using an electrostatic force to adhere similar and dissimilar surfaces. A typical EA enabled device is composed of compliant space-rated materials, such as copper-clad polyimide encapsulated by polymers. Attachment is induced by strong electrostatic forces between any substrate material, such as an exterior satellite panel and a compliant EA gripper pad surface. When alternate positive and negative charges are induced in adjacent planar electrodes in an EA surface, the electric fields set up opposite charges on the substrate and cause an electrostatic adhesion between the electrodes and the induced charges on the substrate. Since the electrodes and the polymer are compliant and can conform to uneven or rough surfaces, the electrodes can remain intimately close to the entire surface, enabling high clamping pressures. Clamping pressures of more than 3 N/cm2 in shear can be achieved on a variety of substrates with ultra-low holding power consumption (measured values are less than 20 microW/Newton weight held). A single EA surface geometry can be used to clamp both dielectric and conductive substrates, with slightly different physical mechanisms. Furthermore EA clamping requires no normal force be placed on the substrate, as conventional docking requires. Internally funded research and

The Role of the Electrostatic Force in Spore Adhesion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Eunhyea [Georgia Institute of Technology; Yiacoumi, Sotira [Georgia Institute of Technology; Lee, Ida [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Tsouris, Costas [ORNL

2010-01-01

Electrostatic force is investigated as one of the components of the adhesion force between Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spores and planar surfaces. The surface potentials of a Bt spore and a mica surface are experimentally obtained using a combined atomic force microscopy (AFM)-scanning surface potential microscopy technique. On the basis of experimental information, the surface charge density of the spores is estimated at 0.03 {micro}C/cm{sup 2} at 20% relative humidity and decreases with increasing humidity. The Coulombic force is introduced for the spore-mica system (both charged, nonconductive surfaces), and an electrostatic image force is introduced to the spore-gold system because gold is electrically conductive. The Coulombic force for spore-mica is repulsive because the components are similarly charged, while the image force for the spore-gold system is attractive. The magnitude of both forces decreases with increasing humidity. The electrostatic forces are added to other force components, e.g., van der Waals and capillary forces, to obtain the adhesion force for each system. The adhesion forces measured by AFM are compared to the estimated values. It is shown that the electrostatic (Coulombic and image) forces play a significant role in the adhesion force between spores and planar surfaces.

Transverse-structure electrostatic charged particle beam lens

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, M.J.

1998-10-13

Electrostatic particle-beam lenses using a concentric co-planar array of independently biased rings can be advantageous for some applications. Traditional electrostatic lenses often consist of axial series of biased rings, apertures, or tubes. The science of lens design has devoted much attention to finding axial arrangements that compensate for the substantial optical aberrations of the individual elements. Thus, as with multi-element lenses for light, a multi-element charged-particle lens can have optical behavior that is far superior to that of the individual elements. Transverse multiple-concentric-ring lenses achieve high performance, while also having advantages in terms of compactness and optical versatility. 7 figs.

Molecular modeling of nucleic Acid structure: electrostatics and solvation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergonzo, Christina; Galindo-Murillo, Rodrigo; Cheatham, Thomas E

2014-12-19

This unit presents an overview of computer simulation techniques as applied to nucleic acid systems, ranging from simple in vacuo molecular modeling techniques to more complete all-atom molecular dynamics treatments that include an explicit representation of the environment. The third in a series of four units, this unit focuses on critical issues in solvation and the treatment of electrostatics. UNITS 7.5 & 7.8 introduced the modeling of nucleic acid structure at the molecular level. This included a discussion of how to generate an initial model, how to evaluate the utility or reliability of a given model, and ultimately how to manipulate this model to better understand its structure, dynamics, and interactions. Subject to an appropriate representation of the energy, such as a specifically parameterized empirical force field, the techniques of minimization and Monte Carlo simulation, as well as molecular dynamics (MD) methods, were introduced as a way of sampling conformational space for a better understanding of the relevance of a given model. This discussion highlighted the major limitations with modeling in general. When sampling conformational space effectively, difficult issues are encountered, such as multiple minima or conformational sampling problems, and accurately representing the underlying energy of interaction. In order to provide a realistic model of the underlying energetics for nucleic acids in their native environments, it is crucial to include some representation of solvation (by water) and also to properly treat the electrostatic interactions. These subjects are discussed in detail in this unit. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Temperature Controlled Electrostatic Disorder and Polymorphism in Ultrathin Films of α-Sexithiophene

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Benjamin; Jafari, Sara; McAfee, Terry; Apperson, Aubrey; O'Connor, Brendan; Dougherty, Daniel

Competing phases in well-ordered alpha-sexithiophene (α-6T) are shown to contribute to electrostatic disorder observed by differences in surface potential between mono- and bi-layer crystallites. Ultrathin films are of key importance to devices in which charge transport occurs in the first several monolayers nearest to a dielectric interface (e.g. thin film transistors) and complex structures in this regime impact the general electrostatic landscape. This study is comprised of 1.5 ML sample crystals grown via organic molecular beam deposition onto a temperature controlled hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) passivated SiO2 substrate to produce well-ordered layer-by-layer type growth. Sample topography and surface potential were characterized simultaneously using Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy to then isolate contact potential differences by first and second layer α-6T regions. Films grown on 70° C, 120° C substrates are observed to have a bilayer with lower, higher potential than the monolayer, respectively. Resulting interlayer potential differences are a clear source of electrostatic disorder and are explained as subtle shifts in tilt-angles between layers relative to the substrate. These empirical results continue our understanding of how co-existing orientations contribute to the complex electrostatics influencing charge transport. NSF CAREER award DMR-1056861.

A novel MEMS inertial switch with a reinforcing rib structure and electrostatic power assist to prolong the contact time

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian; Wang, Yan; Yang, Zhuoqing; Ding, Guifu; Zhao, Xiaolin; Wang, Hong

2018-03-01

The MEMS inertial switch is widely used in various industries owing to its advantage of small size, high integration, low power consumption and low costs, especially in the timing of Internet of things, such as toys, handheld devices, accessories and vibration testing. This paper provided a novel inertial switch with a reinforcing rib structure and electrostatic power assist. The designed inertial switch can reduce the complexity of the post-processing circuit and broaden its application prospect. The continuous electrostatic force can extend the contact time of the designed inertia switch before the leakage of electricity ends. The moving electrode with a reinforcing rib structure can effectively restrain the bending of the lower surface of moving electrode caused by residual stress. The array-type fixed electrode can ensure stable contact between the electrodes when the device is sensitive to external shocks. The dynamic displacement-time curve can be simulated by the COMSOL finite element simulation software. The laminated plating process is used to produce the designed inertial switch and the drop hammer acceleration monitoring system is used to test the fabricated device. The results indicate that, compared with the traditional design, the bouncing phenomenon can be prevented and extend the contact time to 336μs.

Multipolar electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardamone, Salvatore; Hughes, Timothy J; Popelier, Paul L A

2014-06-14

Atomistic simulation of chemical systems is currently limited by the elementary description of electrostatics that atomic point-charges offer. Unfortunately, a model of one point-charge for each atom fails to capture the anisotropic nature of electronic features such as lone pairs or π-systems. Higher order electrostatic terms, such as those offered by a multipole moment expansion, naturally recover these important electronic features. The question remains as to why such a description has not yet been widely adopted by popular molecular mechanics force fields. There are two widely-held misconceptions about the more rigorous formalism of multipolar electrostatics: (1) Accuracy: the implementation of multipole moments, compared to point-charges, offers little to no advantage in terms of an accurate representation of a system's energetics, structure and dynamics. (2) Efficiency: atomistic simulation using multipole moments is computationally prohibitive compared to simulation using point-charges. Whilst the second of these may have found some basis when computational power was a limiting factor, the first has no theoretical grounding. In the current work, we disprove the two statements above and systematically demonstrate that multipole moments are not discredited by either. We hope that this perspective will help in catalysing the transition to more realistic electrostatic modelling, to be adopted by popular molecular simulation software.

Electrostatic powder spraying process for the fabrication of stable superhydrophobic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Guotuan; Tian, Yuping; Li, Zhantie; Lu, Dongfang

2011-03-01

Nano-sized Al2O3 particles were modified by heptadecafluorodecyl trimethoxysilane and 2,3-epoxy propoxy propyl trimethoxysilicane to make it both hydrophobic and reactive. The reactive nano-particles were mixed with polyester resin containing curing agents and electrostatic sprayed on stainless steel substrates to obtain stable superhydrophobic coatings after curing. The water contact angle (WCA) on the hybrid coating is influenced by the content of Al2O3 particles in the coating. As the Al2O3 concentration in the coating was increased from 0% to 8%, WCA increased from 68° to 165°. Surface topography of the coatings was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Nano-particles covered on the coating surface formed continuous film with greatly enhanced roughness, which was found to be responsible for the superhydrophobicity. The method is simple and cost effective and can be used for preparing self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating on large areas.

Electrostatic powder spraying process for the fabrication of stable superhydrophobic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Guotuan; Tian Yuping; Li Zhantie; Lu Dongfang

2011-01-01

Nano-sized Al 2 O 3 particles were modified by heptadecafluorodecyl trimethoxysilane and 2,3-epoxy propoxy propyl trimethoxysilicane to make it both hydrophobic and reactive. The reactive nano-particles were mixed with polyester resin containing curing agents and electrostatic sprayed on stainless steel substrates to obtain stable superhydrophobic coatings after curing. The water contact angle (WCA) on the hybrid coating is influenced by the content of Al 2 O 3 particles in the coating. As the Al 2 O 3 concentration in the coating was increased from 0% to 8%, WCA increased from 68 o to 165 o . Surface topography of the coatings was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Nano-particles covered on the coating surface formed continuous film with greatly enhanced roughness, which was found to be responsible for the superhydrophobicity. The method is simple and cost effective and can be used for preparing self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating on large areas.

A multi-electrode and pre-deformed bilayer spring structure electrostatic attractive MEMS actuator with large stroke at low actuation voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Fangrong; Li, Zhi; Xiong, Xianming; Niu, Junhao; Peng, Zhiyong; Qian, Yixian; Yao, Jun

2012-01-01

This paper presents a multi-electrode and pre-deformed bilayer spring structure electrostatic attractive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator; it has large stroke at relatively low actuation voltage. Generally, electrostatic-attractive-force-based actuators have small stroke due to the instability resulted from the electrostatic ‘pull-in’ phenomenon. However, in many applications, the electrostatic micro-actuator with large stroke at low voltage is more preferred. By introducing a multi-electrode and a pre-deformed bilayer spring structure, an electrostatic attractive MEMS actuator with large stroke at very low actuation voltage has been successfully demonstrated in this paper. The actuator contains a central plate with a size of 300 µm × 300 µm × 1.5 µm and it is supported by four L-shaped bilayer springs which are pre-deformed due to residual stresses. Each bilayer spring is simultaneously attracted by three adjacent fixed electrodes, and the factors affecting the electrostatic attractive force are analyzed by a finite element analysis method. The prototype of the actuator is fabricated by poly-multi-user-MEMS-process (PolyMUMP) and the static performance is tested using a white light interferometer. The measured stroke of the actuator reaches 2 µm at 13 V dc, and it shows a good agreement with the simulation. (paper)

The two sides of complement C3d: evolution of electrostatics in a link between innate and adaptive immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kieslich, Chris A; Morikis, Dimitrios

2012-01-01

The interaction between complement fragment C3d and complement receptor 2 (CR2) is a key aspect of complement immune system activation, and is a component in a link between innate and adaptive immunities. The complement immune system is an ancient mechanism for defense, and can be found in species that have been on Earth for the last 600 million years. However, the link between the complement system and adaptive immunity, which is formed through the association of the B-cell co-receptor complex, including the C3d-CR2 interaction, is a much more recent adaptation. Human C3d and CR2 have net charges of -1 and +7 respectively, and are believed to have evolved favoring the role of electrostatics in their functions. To investigate the role of electrostatics in the function and evolution of human C3d and CR2, we have applied electrostatic similarity methods to identify regions of evolutionarily conserved electrostatic potential based on 24 homologues of complement C3d and 4 homologues of CR2. We also examine the effects of structural perturbation, as introduced through molecular dynamics and mutations, on spatial distributions of electrostatic potential to identify perturbation resistant regions, generated by so-called electrostatic "hot-spots". Distributions of electrostatic similarity based on families of perturbed structures illustrate the presence of electrostatic "hot-spots" at the two functional sites of C3d, while the surface of CR2 lacks electrostatic "hot-spots" despite its excessively positive nature. We propose that the electrostatic "hot-spots" of C3d have evolved to optimize its dual-functionality (covalently attaching to pathogen surfaces and interaction with CR2), which are both necessary for the formation B-cell co-receptor complexes. Comparison of the perturbation resistance of the electrostatic character of the homologues of C3d suggests that there was an emergence of a new role of electrostatics, and a transition in the function of C3d, after the

The two sides of complement C3d: evolution of electrostatics in a link between innate and adaptive immunity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris A Kieslich

Full Text Available The interaction between complement fragment C3d and complement receptor 2 (CR2 is a key aspect of complement immune system activation, and is a component in a link between innate and adaptive immunities. The complement immune system is an ancient mechanism for defense, and can be found in species that have been on Earth for the last 600 million years. However, the link between the complement system and adaptive immunity, which is formed through the association of the B-cell co-receptor complex, including the C3d-CR2 interaction, is a much more recent adaptation. Human C3d and CR2 have net charges of -1 and +7 respectively, and are believed to have evolved favoring the role of electrostatics in their functions. To investigate the role of electrostatics in the function and evolution of human C3d and CR2, we have applied electrostatic similarity methods to identify regions of evolutionarily conserved electrostatic potential based on 24 homologues of complement C3d and 4 homologues of CR2. We also examine the effects of structural perturbation, as introduced through molecular dynamics and mutations, on spatial distributions of electrostatic potential to identify perturbation resistant regions, generated by so-called electrostatic "hot-spots". Distributions of electrostatic similarity based on families of perturbed structures illustrate the presence of electrostatic "hot-spots" at the two functional sites of C3d, while the surface of CR2 lacks electrostatic "hot-spots" despite its excessively positive nature. We propose that the electrostatic "hot-spots" of C3d have evolved to optimize its dual-functionality (covalently attaching to pathogen surfaces and interaction with CR2, which are both necessary for the formation B-cell co-receptor complexes. Comparison of the perturbation resistance of the electrostatic character of the homologues of C3d suggests that there was an emergence of a new role of electrostatics, and a transition in the function of C3

Investigation on Electrostatical Breakup of Bio-Oil Droplets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Z. Wen

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In electrostatic atomization, the input electrical energy causes breaking up of the droplet surface by utilizing a mutual repulsion of net charges accumulating on that surface. In this work a number of key parameters controlling the bio-oil droplet breakup process are identified and these correlations among the droplet size distribution, specific charges of droplets and externally applied electrical voltages are quantified. Theoretical considerations of the bag or strip breakup mechanism of biodiesel droplets experiencing electrostatic potential are compared to experimental outcomes. The theoretical analysis suggests the droplet breakup process is governed by the Rayleigh instability condition, which reveals the effects of droplets size, specific charge, surface tension force, and droplet velocities. Experiments confirm that the average droplet diameters decrease with increasing specific charges and this decreasing tendency is non-monotonic due to the motion of satellite drops in the non-uniform electrical field. The measured specific charges are found to be smaller than the theoretical values. And the energy transformation from the electrical energy to surface energy, in addition to the energy loss, Taylor instability breakup, non-excess polarization and some system errors, accounts for this discrepancy. The electrostatic force is the dominant factor controlling the mechanism of biodiesel breakup in electrostatic atomization.

Structure-Function Correlation Analysis of Connexin50 Missense Mutations Causing Congenital Cataract: Electrostatic Potential Alteration Could Determine Intracellular Trafficking Fate of Mutants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devroop Sarkar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Connexin50 (Cx50 mutations are reported to cause congenital cataract probably through the disruption of intercellular transport in the lens. Cx50 mutants that undergo mistrafficking have generally been associated with failure to form functional gap junction channels; however, sometimes even properly trafficked mutants were found to undergo similar consequences. We hereby wanted to elucidate any structural bases of the varied functional consequences of Cx50 missense mutations through in silico approach. Computational studies have been done based on a Cx50 homology model to assess conservation, solvent accessibility, and 3-dimensional localization of mutated residues as well as mutation-induced changes in surface electrostatic potential, H-bonding, and steric clash. This was supplemented with meta-analysis of published literature on the functional properties of connexin missense mutations. Analyses revealed that the mutation-induced critical alterations of surface electrostatic potential in Cx50 mutants could determine their fate in intracellular trafficking. A similar pattern was observed in case of mutations involving corresponding conserved residues in other connexins also. Based on these results the trafficking fates of 10 uncharacterized Cx50 mutations have been predicted. Further experimental analyses are needed to validate the observed correlation.

The spatio-temporal structure of electrostatic turbulence in the WEGA stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsen, Stefan

2008-03-01

The main object of this work is to provide a detailed characterisation of electrostatic turbulence in WEGA and to identify the underlying instability mechanism driving turbulence. The spatio-temporal structure of turbulence is studied using multiple Langmuir probes providing a sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution. Turbulence in WEGA is dominated by drift wave dynamics. The phase shift between density and potential fluctuations is close to zero, fluctuations are mainly driven by the density gradient, and the phase velocity of turbulent structures points in the direction of the electron diamagnetic drift. The structure of turbulence is studied mainly in the plasma edge region inside the last closed flux surface. WEGA can be operated in two regimes differing in the magnetic field strength by almost one order of magnitude (57 mT and 500 mT, respectively). At 57 mT large structures with a poloidal extent comparable to the machine dimensions are observed, whereas at 500 mT turbulent structures are much smaller. The poloidal structure size scales nearly linearly with the inverse magnetic field strength. This scaling may be argued to be related to the drift wave dispersion scale, ρ s =√(m i k B T e )/(qB). However, the structure size remains unchanged when the ion mass is changed by using different discharge gases. Inside the last closed flux surface the poloidal E x B drift in WEGA is negligible. The three-dimensional structure is studied in detail using probes which are toroidally separated but aligned along connecting magnetic field lines. A small but finite parallel wavenumber is found. The ratio between the average parallel and perpendicular wavenumber is in the order of anti κ parallel / anti κ θ ∼ 10 -2 . The parallel phase velocity of turbulent structures is in-between the ion sound velocity and the Alfven velocity. In the parallel dynamics a fundamental difference between the two operational regimes at different magnetic field strength is

High-energy capacitance electrostatic micromotors

Science.gov (United States)

Baginsky, I. L.; Kostsov, E. G.

2003-03-01

The design and parameters of a new electrostatic micromotor with high energy output are described. The motor is created by means of microelectronic technology. Its operation is based on the electromechanic energy conversion during the electrostatic rolling of the metallic films (petals) on the ferroelectric film surface. The mathematical simulation of the main characteristics of the rolling process is carried out. The experimentally measured parameters of the petal step micromotors are shown. The motor operation and its efficiency are investigated.

Electrostatics in Chemistry

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

fundamental concepts of electrostatics as applied to atoms and molecules. The electric ... chemistry, the chemistry of the covalent bond, deals with the structures ..... the position of an asteroid named Ceres ... World Scientific. Singapore, 1992.

Cholesterol Promotes Protein Binding by Affecting Membrane Electrostatics and Solvation Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Doktorova, Milka; Heberle, Frederick A; Kingston, Richard L; Khelashvili, George; Cuendet, Michel A; Wen, Yi; Katsaras, John; Feigenson, Gerald W; Vogt, Volker M; Dick, Robert A

2017-11-07

Binding of the retroviral structural protein Gag to the cellular plasma membrane is mediated by the protein's matrix (MA) domain. Prominent among MA-PM interactions is electrostatic attraction between the positively charged MA domain and the negatively charged plasma membrane inner leaflet. Previously, we reported that membrane association of HIV-1 Gag, as well as purified Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) MA and Gag, depends strongly on the presence of acidic lipids and is enhanced by cholesterol (Chol). The mechanism underlying this enhancement was unclear. Here, using a broad set of in vitro and in silico techniques we addressed molecular mechanisms of association between RSV MA and model membranes, and investigated how Chol enhances this association. In neutron scattering experiments with liposomes in the presence or absence of Chol, MA preferentially interacted with preexisting POPS-rich clusters formed by nonideal lipid mixing, binding peripherally to the lipid headgroups with minimal perturbation to the bilayer structure. Molecular dynamics simulations showed a stronger MA-bilayer interaction in the presence of Chol, and a large Chol-driven increase in lipid packing and membrane surface charge density. Although in vitro MA-liposome association is influenced by disparate variables, including ionic strength and concentrations of Chol and charged lipids, continuum electrostatic theory revealed an underlying dependence on membrane surface potential. Together, these results conclusively show that Chol affects RSV MA-membrane association by making the electrostatic potential at the membrane surface more negative, while decreasing the penalty for lipid headgroup desolvation. The presented approach can be applied to other viral and nonviral proteins. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein-mediated surface structuring in biomembranes

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Maggio B.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The lipids and proteins of biomembranes exhibit highly dissimilar conformations, geometrical shapes, amphipathicity, and thermodynamic properties which constrain their two-dimensional molecular packing, electrostatics, and interaction preferences. This causes inevitable development of large local tensions that frequently relax into phase or compositional immiscibility along lateral and transverse planes of the membrane. On the other hand, these effects constitute the very codes that mediate molecular and structural changes determining and controlling the possibilities for enzymatic activity, apposition and recombination in biomembranes. The presence of proteins constitutes a major perturbing factor for the membrane sculpturing both in terms of its surface topography and dynamics. We will focus on some results from our group within this context and summarize some recent evidence for the active involvement of extrinsic (myelin basic protein, integral (Folch-Lees proteolipid protein and amphitropic (c-Fos and c-Jun proteins, as well as a membrane-active amphitropic phosphohydrolytic enzyme (neutral sphingomyelinase, in the process of lateral segregation and dynamics of phase domains, sculpturing of the surface topography, and the bi-directional modulation of the membrane biochemical reactivity.

Excitation of surface waves and electrostatic fields by a RF (radiofrequency systems) wave in a plasma sheath with current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez Tapia, C.

1990-01-01

It is shown in a one-dimensional model that when a current in a plasma sheath is present, the excitation of surface waves and electrostatic fields by a RF wave is possible in the sheath. This phenomena depends strongly on the joint action of Miller's and driven forces. It is also shown that the action of these forces are carried out at different characteristic times when the wave front travels through the plasma sheath. The influence of the current, in the steady limit, is taken into account by a small functional variation of the density perturbations and generated electrostatic field. (Author)

Design space of electrostatic chuck in etching chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Yuchun; Cheng Jia; Lu Yijia; Hou Yuemin; Ji Linhong

2015-01-01

One of the core semiconductor devices is the electrostatic chuck. It has been widely used in plasma-based and vacuum-based semiconductor processing. The electrostatic chuck plays an important role in adsorbing and cooling/heating wafers, and has technical advantages on non-edge exclusion, high reliability, wafer planarity, particles reduction and so on. This article extracts key design elements from the existing knowledge and techniques of electrostatic chuck by the method proposed by Paul and Beitz, and establishes a design space systematically. The design space is composed of working objects, working principles and working structures. The working objects involve electrostatic chuck components and materials, classifications, and relevant properties; the working principles involve clamping force, residual force, and temperature control; the working structures describe how to compose an electrostatic chuck and to fulfill the overall functions. The systematic design space exhibits the main issues during electrostatic chuck design. The design space will facilitate and inspire designers to improve the design quality and shorten the design time in the conceptual design. (paper)

Stiction in surface micromachining

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tas, Niels Roelof; Sonnenberg, A.H.; Jansen, Henricus V.; Legtenberg, R.; Legtenberg, Rob; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

1996-01-01

Due to the smoothness of the surfaces in surface micromachining, large adhesion forces between fabricated structures and the substrate are encountered. Four major adhesion mechanisms have been analysed: capillary forces, hydrogen bridging, electrostatic forces and van der Waals forces. Once contact

Specific Electrostatic Molecular Recognition in Water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Ming; Hoeck, Casper; Schoffelen, Sanne

2016-01-01

The identification of pairs of small peptides that recognize each other in water exclusively through electrostatic interactions is reported. The target peptide and a structure-biased combinatorial ligand library consisting of ≈78 125 compounds were synthesized on different sized beads. Peptide......-bead binding assay and by 2D NMR spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics (MD) studies revealed a putative mode of interaction for this unusual electrostatic binding event. High binding specificity occurred through a combination of topological matching and electrostatic and hydrogen-bond complementarities. From MD...

Electrostatics-Driven Hierarchical Buckling of Charged Flexible Ribbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Zhenwei; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica

2016-04-08

We investigate the rich morphologies of an electrically charged flexible ribbon, which is a prototype for many beltlike structures in biology and nanomaterials. Long-range electrostatic repulsion is found to govern the hierarchical buckling of the ribbon from its initially flat shape to its undulated and out-of-plane twisted conformations. In this process, the screening length is the key controlling parameter, suggesting that a convenient way to manipulate the ribbon morphology is simply to change the salt concentration. We find that these shapes originate from the geometric effect of the electrostatic interaction, which fundamentally changes the metric over the ribbon surface. We also identify the basic modes by which the ribbon reshapes itself in order to lower the energy. The geometric effect of the physical interaction revealed in this Letter has implications for the shape design of extensive ribbonlike materials in nano- and biomaterials.

Computational Methods for Biomolecular Electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Feng; Olsen, Brett; Baker, Nathan A.

2008-01-01

An understanding of intermolecular interactions is essential for insight into how cells develop, operate, communicate and control their activities. Such interactions include several components: contributions from linear, angular, and torsional forces in covalent bonds, van der Waals forces, as well as electrostatics. Among the various components of molecular interactions, electrostatics are of special importance because of their long range and their influence on polar or charged molecules, including water, aqueous ions, and amino or nucleic acids, which are some of the primary components of living systems. Electrostatics, therefore, play important roles in determining the structure, motion and function of a wide range of biological molecules. This chapter presents a brief overview of electrostatic interactions in cellular systems with a particular focus on how computational tools can be used to investigate these types of interactions. PMID:17964951

The pKa Cooperative: a collaborative effort to advance structure-based calculations of pKa values and electrostatic effects in proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Jens E; Gunner, M R; García-Moreno, Bertrand E

2011-12-01

The pK(a) Cooperative (http://www.pkacoop.org) was organized to advance development of accurate and useful computational methods for structure-based calculation of pK(a) values and electrostatic energies in proteins. The Cooperative brings together laboratories with expertise and interest in theoretical, computational, and experimental studies of protein electrostatics. To improve structure-based energy calculations, it is necessary to better understand the physical character and molecular determinants of electrostatic effects. Thus, the Cooperative intends to foment experimental research into fundamental aspects of proteins that depend on electrostatic interactions. It will maintain a depository for experimental data useful for critical assessment of methods for structure-based electrostatics calculations. To help guide the development of computational methods, the Cooperative will organize blind prediction exercises. As a first step, computational laboratories were invited to reproduce an unpublished set of experimental pK(a) values of acidic and basic residues introduced in the interior of staphylococcal nuclease by site-directed mutagenesis. The pK(a) values of these groups are unique and challenging to simulate owing to the large magnitude of their shifts relative to normal pK(a) values in water. Many computational methods were tested in this first Blind Prediction Challenge and critical assessment exercise. A workshop was organized in the Telluride Science Research Center to objectively assess the performance of many computational methods tested on this one extensive data set. This volume of Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics introduces the pK(a) Cooperative, presents reports submitted by participants in the Blind Prediction Challenge, and highlights some of the problems in structure-based calculations identified during this exercise. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Electrostatic coating technologies for food processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Barringer, Sheryl A; Sumonsiri, Nutsuda

2015-01-01

The application of electrostatics in both powder and liquid coating can improve the quality of food, such as its appearance, aroma, taste, and shelf life. Coatings can be found most commonly in the snack food industry, as well as in confectionery, bakery, meat and cheese processing. In electrostatic powder coating, the most important factors influencing coating quality are powder particle size, density, flowability, charge, and resistivity, as well as the surface properties and characteristics of the target. The most important factors during electrostatic liquid coating, also known as electrohydrodynamic coating, include applied voltage and electrical resistivity and viscosity of the liquid. A good understanding of these factors is needed for the design of optimal coating systems for food processing.

Electrostatic mechanism of shaping the wave micro-relief on the surface of a semiconductor, sputtered by an ion beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigor'ev, A.I.

2000-01-01

The effect of the electric field formed due to the surface charging, is not accounted for in the weakly-developed theoretical models for the ordered micro-relief formation on the surface of a semiconductor under the impact of an ion beam. It is shown, that the problem on modeling the physical mechanism of forming the ordered wave micro-relief on the semiconductor surface under the impact of a high-energy ion beam may be interpreted as an electrostatic one [ru

Theory of electrostatics and electrokinetics of soft particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroyuki Ohshima

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate theoretically the electrostatics and electrokinetics of a soft particle, i.e. a hard particle covered with an ion-penetrable surface layer of polyelectrolytes. The electric properties of soft particles in an electrolyte solution, which differ from those of hard particles, are essentially determined by the Donnan potential in the surface layer. In particular, the Donnan potential plays an essential role in the electrostatics and electrokinetics of soft particles. Furthermore, the concept of zeta potential, which is important in the electrokinetics of hard particles, loses its physical meaning in the electrokinetics of soft particles. In this review, we discuss the potential distribution around a soft particle, the electrostatic interaction between two soft particles, and the motion of a soft particle in an electric field.

The structure of the interface in the solvent mediated interaction of dipolar surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzhavakhidze, P.G.; Levadny, V.G.

1987-08-01

Interaction of two dipolar surfaces separated by a polar medium is considered within the framework of nonlocal electrostatics. The dipolar surface layers are modelled as regular lattices with fixed orientation of dipoles which are immersed into the solvent; solvent response is characterized by nonlocal dielectric function. The model is elaborated in order to reveal the role of the dipolar layer discreteness in the electric field produced by one surface and the interaction between two surfaces (which gives rise to the so called ''hydration'' or ''structural'' force acting between mineral surfaces and phospholipid bilayers). The discreteness effects are present only for commensurate lattices. Their special mutual arrangement then may lead to considerable reduction of structural forces, viz. the usual repulsion regime may change at short distances to attraction. Conditions are considered when repulsion is entirely replaced by attraction, i.e. the ''hydration barrier'' disappears. In appended note we discuss the role of solvation of surface dipolar groups. We propose an explanation of why two modes of decay (one with oscillative fine structure) may be present in the dependence of the force upon distance if the surface dipolar groups are immersed deep enough in the solvent and how the long-range oscillative mode disappears when the surface is but weakly solvated. (author). 35 refs, 5 figs

The structure of the interface in the solvent-mediated interaction of dipolar surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzhavakhidze, P.G.; Kornyshev, A.A.; Levadny, V.G.

1988-01-01

Interaction of two dipolar surfaces separated by a polar medium is considered within the framework of nonlocal electrostatics. The dipolar-surface layers are modelled as regular lattices with fixed orientation of dipoles which are immersed into the solvent; solvent response is characterized by nonlocal dielectric function. The model is elaborated in order to reveal the role of the dypolar-layer discreteness in the electric field produced by one surface and the interaction between two surfaces (which gives rise to the so-called ''hydration'' or ''structural'' force acting between mineral surfaces and phospholipid bilayers). The discreteness effects are present only for commensurate lattices. Their special mutual arrangement then may lead to considerable reduction of structural forces, viz. the usual repulsion regime may change at short distances to attraction. Conditions are considered when repulsion is entirely replaced by attraction, i.e. the ''hydration barrier'' disappears. In appended note it is discussed the role of solvation of surface dipolar groups. It is proposed an explanation of why two modes of decay (one with oscillative fine structure) may be present in the dependence of the force upon distance, if the surface dipolar groups are immersed deep enough in the solvent, and how the long-range oscillative mode disappears when the surface is but weakly solvated

Coupled electrostatic and material surface stresses yield anomalous particle interactions and deformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kemp, B. A., E-mail: bkemp@astate.edu; Nikolayev, I. [College of Engineering, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72467 (United States); Sheppard, C. J. [College of Sciences and Mathematics, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72467 (United States)

2016-04-14

Like-charges repel, and opposite charges attract. This fundamental tenet is a result of Coulomb's law. However, the electrostatic interactions between dielectric particles remain topical due to observations of like-charged particle attraction and the self-assembly of colloidal systems. Here, we show, using both an approximate description and an exact solution of Maxwell's equations, that nonlinear charged particle forces result even for linear material systems and can be responsible for anomalous electrostatic interactions such as like-charged particle attraction and oppositely charged particle repulsion. Furthermore, these electrostatic interactions and the deformation of such particles have fundamental implications for our understanding of macroscopic electrodynamics.

The spatio-temporal structure of electrostatic turbulence in the WEGA stellarator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsen, Stefan

2008-03-15

The main object of this work is to provide a detailed characterisation of electrostatic turbulence in WEGA and to identify the underlying instability mechanism driving turbulence. The spatio-temporal structure of turbulence is studied using multiple Langmuir probes providing a sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution. Turbulence in WEGA is dominated by drift wave dynamics. The phase shift between density and potential fluctuations is close to zero, fluctuations are mainly driven by the density gradient, and the phase velocity of turbulent structures points in the direction of the electron diamagnetic drift. The structure of turbulence is studied mainly in the plasma edge region inside the last closed flux surface. WEGA can be operated in two regimes differing in the magnetic field strength by almost one order of magnitude (57 mT and 500 mT, respectively). At 57 mT large structures with a poloidal extent comparable to the machine dimensions are observed, whereas at 500 mT turbulent structures are much smaller. The poloidal structure size scales nearly linearly with the inverse magnetic field strength. This scaling may be argued to be related to the drift wave dispersion scale, {rho}{sub s}={radical}(m{sub i}k{sub B}T{sub e})/(qB). However, the structure size remains unchanged when the ion mass is changed by using different discharge gases. Inside the last closed flux surface the poloidal E x B drift in WEGA is negligible. The three-dimensional structure is studied in detail using probes which are toroidally separated but aligned along connecting magnetic field lines. A small but finite parallel wavenumber is found. The ratio between the average parallel and perpendicular wavenumber is in the order of anti {kappa} {sub parallel} / anti {kappa}{sub {theta}} {approx} 10{sup -2}. The parallel phase velocity of turbulent structures is in-between the ion sound velocity and the Alfven velocity. In the parallel dynamics a fundamental difference between the two

Cantilever contribution to the total electrostatic force measured with the atomic force microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guriyanova, Svetlana; Golovko, Dmytro S; Bonaccurso, Elmar

2010-01-01

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful tool for surface imaging at the nanometer scale and surface force measurements in the piconewton range. Among long-range surface forces, the electrostatic forces play a predominant role. They originate if the electric potentials of the substrate and of the tip of the AFM cantilever are different. A quantitative interpretation of the AFM signal is often difficult because it depends in a complicated fashion on the cantilever–tip–surface geometry. Since the electrostatic interaction is a long-range interaction, the cantilever, which is many microns from the surface, contributes to the total electrostatic force along with the tip. Here we present results of the electrostatic interaction between a conducting flat surface and horizontal or tilted cantilevers, with and without tips, at various distances from the surface. As addressed in a previous work, we show that the contribution of the cantilever to the overall force cannot be neglected. Based on a predictive model and on 3D confocal measurements, we discuss the influence of the tilting angle of the cantilever

Structural determinants for protein adsorption/non-adsorption to silica surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathe, Christelle; Devineau, Stephanie; Aude, Jean-Christophe; Lagniel, Gilles; Chedin, Stephane; Legros, Veronique; Mathon, Marie-Helene; Renault, Jean-Philippe; Pin, Serge; Boulard, Yves; Labarre, Jean

2013-01-01

The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the interaction of proteins with inorganic surfaces is of major interest in both fundamental research and applications such as nano-technology. However, despite intense research, the mechanisms and the structural determinants of protein/surface interactions are still unclear. We developed a strategy consisting in identifying, in a mixture of hundreds of soluble proteins, those proteins that are adsorbed on the surface and those that are not. If the two protein subsets are large enough, their statistical comparative analysis must reveal the physicochemical determinants relevant for adsorption versus non-adsorption. This methodology was tested with silica nanoparticles. We found that the adsorbed proteins contain a higher number of charged amino acids, particularly arginine, which is consistent with involvement of this basic amino acid in electrostatic interactions with silica. The analysis also identified a marked bias toward low aromatic amino acid content (phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine and histidine) in adsorbed proteins. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations of proteins from the two groups indicate that non-adsorbed proteins have twice as many p-p interactions and higher structural rigidity. The data are consistent with the notion that adsorption is correlated with the flexibility of the protein and with its ability to spread on the surface. Our findings led us to propose a refined model of protein adsorption. (authors)

Structural determinants for protein adsorption/non-adsorption to silica surface.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christelle Mathé

Full Text Available The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the interaction of proteins with inorganic surfaces is of major interest in both fundamental research and applications such as nanotechnology. However, despite intense research, the mechanisms and the structural determinants of protein/surface interactions are still unclear. We developed a strategy consisting in identifying, in a mixture of hundreds of soluble proteins, those proteins that are adsorbed on the surface and those that are not. If the two protein subsets are large enough, their statistical comparative analysis must reveal the physicochemical determinants relevant for adsorption versus non-adsorption. This methodology was tested with silica nanoparticles. We found that the adsorbed proteins contain a higher number of charged amino acids, particularly arginine, which is consistent with involvement of this basic amino acid in electrostatic interactions with silica. The analysis also identified a marked bias toward low aromatic amino acid content (phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine and histidine in adsorbed proteins. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations of proteins from the two groups indicate that non-adsorbed proteins have twice as many π-π interactions and higher structural rigidity. The data are consistent with the notion that adsorption is correlated with the flexibility of the protein and with its ability to spread on the surface. Our findings led us to propose a refined model of protein adsorption.

DNA minor groove electrostatic potential: influence of sequence-specific transitions of the torsion angle gamma and deoxyribose conformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhitnikova, M Y; Shestopalova, A V

2017-11-01

The structural adjustments of the sugar-phosphate DNA backbone (switching of the γ angle (O5'-C5'-C4'-C3') from canonical to alternative conformations and/or C2'-endo → C3'-endo transition of deoxyribose) lead to the sequence-specific changes in accessible surface area of both polar and non-polar atoms of the grooves and the polar/hydrophobic profile of the latter ones. The distribution of the minor groove electrostatic potential is likely to be changing as a result of such conformational rearrangements in sugar-phosphate DNA backbone. Our analysis of the crystal structures of the short free DNA fragments and calculation of their electrostatic potentials allowed us to determine: (1) the number of classical and alternative γ angle conformations in the free B-DNA; (2) changes in the minor groove electrostatic potential, depending on the conformation of the sugar-phosphate DNA backbone; (3) the effect of the DNA sequence on the minor groove electrostatic potential. We have demonstrated that the structural adjustments of the DNA double helix (the conformations of the sugar-phosphate backbone and the minor groove dimensions) induce changes in the distribution of the minor groove electrostatic potential and are sequence-specific. Therefore, these features of the minor groove sizes and distribution of minor groove electrostatic potential can be used as a signal for recognition of the target DNA sequence by protein in the implementation of the indirect readout mechanism.

Evidences of Changes in Surface Electrostatic Charge Distribution during Stabilization of HPV16 Virus-Like Particles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan F Vega

Full Text Available The stabilization of human papillomavirus type 16 virus-like particles has been examined by means of different techniques including dynamic and static light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and electrophoretic mobility. All these techniques provide different and often complementary perspectives about the aggregation process and generation of stabilized virus-like particles after a period of time of 48 hours at a temperature of 298 K. Interestingly, static light scattering results point towards a clear colloidal instability in the initial systems, as suggested by a negative value of the second virial coefficient. This is likely related to small repulsive electrostatic interactions among the particles, and in agreement with relatively small absolute values of the electrophoretic mobility and, hence, of the net surface charges. At this initial stage the small repulsive interactions are not able to compensate binding interactions, which tend to aggregate the particles. As time proceeds, an increase of the size of the particles is accompanied by strong increases, in absolute values, of the electrophoretic mobility and net surface charge, suggesting enhanced repulsive electrostatic interactions and, consequently, a stabilized colloidal system. These results show that electrophoretic mobility is a useful methodology that can be applied to screen the stabilization factors for virus-like particles during vaccine development.

Electrostatic forces on grains near asteroids and comets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hartzell Christine

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Dust on and near the surface of small planetary bodies (e.g. asteroids, the Moon, Mars’ moons is subject to gravity, cohesion and electrostatic forces. Due to the very low gravity on small bodies, the behavior of small dust grains is driven by non-gravitational forces. Recent work by Scheeres et al. has shown that cohesion, specifically van der Waals force, is significant for grains on asteroids. In addition to van der Waals cohesion, dust grains also experience electrostatic forces, arising from their interaction with each other (through tribocharging and the solar wind plasma (which produces both grain charging and an external electric field. Electrostatic forces influence both the interactions of grains on the surface of small bodies as well as the dynamics of grains in the plasma sheath above the surface. While tribocharging between identical dielectric grains remains poorly understood, we have recently expanded an existing charge transfer model to consider continuous size distributions of grains and are planning an experiment to test the charge predictions produced. Additionally, we will present predictions of the size of dust grains that are capable of detaching from the surface of small bodies.

Asteroid electrostatic instrumentation and modelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aplin, K L; Bowles, N E; Urbak, E [Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); Keane, D; Sawyer, E C, E-mail: k.aplin1@physics.ox.ac.uk [RAL Space, R25, Harwell Oxford, Didcot OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)

2011-06-23

Asteroid surface material is expected to become photoelectrically charged, and is likely to be transported through electrostatic levitation. Understanding any movement of the surface material is relevant to proposed space missions to return samples to Earth for detailed isotopic analysis. Motivated by preparations for the Marco Polo sample return mission, we present electrostatic modelling for a real asteroid, Itokawa, for which detailed shape information is available, and verify that charging effects are likely to be significant at the terminator and at the edges of shadow regions for the Marco Polo baseline asteroid, 1999JU3. We also describe the Asteroid Charge Experiment electric field instrumentation intended for Marco Polo. Finally, we find that the differing asteroid and spacecraft potentials on landing could perturb sample collection for the short landing time of 20min that is currently planned.

Subsurface measurement of nanostructures on GaAs by electrostatic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Fumihiko; Kamiya, Itaru

2013-01-01

The size of surface buried oxide nanostructures are measured by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). In contrast to atomic force microscopy that cannot probe subsurface structures and thickness, we show that EFM data include information about the thickness of individual nanostructures, consequently allowing us to determine the thickness of buried nanostructures on semiconductor substrates. We further show that this measurement can be performed simultaneously with AFM using EFM modulation spectroscopy.

The Electrostatic Environments of Mars and the Moon

Science.gov (United States)

Calle, Carlos I.

2011-01-01

The electrical activity present in the environment near the surfaces of Mars and the moon has very different origins and presents a challenge to manned and robotic planetary exploration missions. Mars is covered with a layer of dust that has been redistributed throughout the entire planet by global dust storms. Dust, levitated by these storms as well as by the frequent dust devils, is expected to be electrostatically charged due to the multiple grain collisions in the dust-laden atmosphere. Dust covering the surface of the moon is expected to be electrostatically charged due to the solar wind, cosmic rays, and the solar radiation itself through the photoelectric effect. Electrostatically charged dust has a large tendency to adhere to surfaces. NASA's Mars exploration rovers have shown that atmospheric dust falling on solar panels can decrease their efficiency to the point of rendering the rover unusable. And as the Apollo missions to the moon showed, lunar dust adhesion can hinder manned and unmanned lunar exploration activities. Taking advantage of the electrical activity on both planetary system bodies, dust removal technologies are now being developed that use electrostatic and dielectrophoretic forces to produce controlled dust motion. This paper presents a short review of the theoretical and semiempirical models that have been developed for the lunar and Martian electrical environments.

The electrostatic environments of Mars and the Moon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calle, C I

2011-01-01

The electrical activity present in the environment near the surfaces of Mars and the moon has very different origins and presents a challenge to manned and robotic planetary exploration missions. Mars is covered with a layer of dust that has been redistributed throughout the entire planet by global dust storms. Dust, levitated by these storms as well as by the frequent dust devils, is expected to be electrostatically charged due to the multiple grain collisions in the dust-laden atmosphere. Dust covering the surface of the moon is expected to be electrostatically charged due to the solar wind, cosmic rays, and the solar radiation itself through the photoelectric effect. Electrostatically charged dust has a large tendency to adhere to surfaces. NASA's Mars exploration rovers have shown that atmospheric dust falling on solar panels can decrease their efficiency to the point of rendering the rover unusable. And as the Apollo missions to the moon showed, lunar dust adhesion can hinder manned and unmanned lunar exploration activities. Taking advantage of the electrical activity on both planetary system bodies, dust removal technologies are now being developed that use electrostatic and dielectrophoretic forces to produce controlled dust motion. This paper presents a short review of the theoretical and semiempirical models that have been developed for the lunar and Martian electrical environments.

Coulomb torque - a general theory for electrostatic forces in many-body systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khachatourian, Armik V M; Wistrom, Anders O

2003-01-01

In static experiments that comprise three conducting spheres suspended by torsion wires and held at constant electric potential, a net angular displacement about their centres has been observed. We demonstrate that the observed rotation is consistent with Coulomb's law of electrical forces complemented by Gauss' surface integrals for electrical potential. Analysis demonstrates that electrostatic torque is the result of electrostatic forces acting on an asymmetric distribution of charges residing on the surfaces of the spheres. The asymptotic value for electrostatic torque is proportional to the inverse of the fourth power of separation distance with the rotation direction, up or down taken perpendicular to a plane passing through sphere centres, given explicitly by the equation for torque. The identification of electrostatic torque prompts further analysis of models of matter at all size scales where electrostatic forces are the dominant operative force

Coulomb torque - a general theory for electrostatic forces in many-body systems

CERN Document Server

Khachaturian, A V M

2003-01-01

In static experiments that comprise three conducting spheres suspended by torsion wires and held at constant electric potential, a net angular displacement about their centres has been observed. We demonstrate that the observed rotation is consistent with Coulomb's law of electrical forces complemented by Gauss' surface integrals for electrical potential. Analysis demonstrates that electrostatic torque is the result of electrostatic forces acting on an asymmetric distribution of charges residing on the surfaces of the spheres. The asymptotic value for electrostatic torque is proportional to the inverse of the fourth power of separation distance with the rotation direction, up or down taken perpendicular to a plane passing through sphere centres, given explicitly by the equation for torque. The identification of electrostatic torque prompts further analysis of models of matter at all size scales where electrostatic forces are the dominant operative force.

Process for growing a film epitaxially upon an oxide surface and structures formed with the process

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick J.

1995-01-01

A process and structure wherein a film comprised of a perovskite or a spinel is built epitaxially upon a surface, such as an alkaline earth oxide surface, involves the epitaxial build up of alternating constituent metal oxide planes of the perovskite or spinel. The first layer of metal oxide built upon the surface includes a metal element which provides a small cation in the crystalline structure of the perovskite or spinel, and the second layer of metal oxide built upon the surface includes a metal element which provides a large cation in the crystalline structure of the perovskite or spinel. The layering sequence involved in the film build up reduces problems which would otherwise result from the interfacial electrostatics at the first atomic layers, and these oxides can be stabilized as commensurate thin films at a unit cell thickness or grown with high crystal quality to thicknesses of 0.5-0.7 .mu.m for optical device applications.

Electrostatic solitons in unmagnetized hot electron-positron-ion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmood, S.; Ur-Rehman, H.

2009-01-01

Linear and nonlinear electrostatic waves in unmagnetized electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) plasmas are studied. The electrons and positrons are assumed to be isothermal and dynamic while ions are considered to be stationary to neutralize the plasma background only. It is found that both upper (fast) and lower (slow) Langmuir waves can propagates in such a type of pair (e-p) plasma in the presence of ions. The small amplitude electrostatic Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) solitons are also obtained using reductive perturbation method. The electrostatic potential hump structures are found to exist when the temperature of the electrons is larger than the positrons, while the electrostatic potential dips are obtained in the reverse temperature conditions for electrons and positrons in e-p-i plasmas. The numerical results are also shown for illustration. The effects of different ion concentration and temperature ratios of electrons and positrons, on the formation of nonlinear electrostatic potential structures in e-p-i plasmas are also discussed.

Electrostatic Manipulation of Graphene On Graphite

Science.gov (United States)

Untiedt, Carlos; Rubio-Verdu, Carmen; Saenz-Arce, Giovanni; Martinez-Asencio, Jesús; Milan, David C.; Moaied, Mohamed; Palacios, Juan J.; Caturla, Maria Jose

2015-03-01

Here we report the use of a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) under ambient and vacuum conditions to study the controlled exfoliation of the last layer of a graphite surface when an electrostatic force is applied from a STM tip. In this work we have focused on the study of two parameters: the applied voltage needed to compensate the graphite interlayer attractive force and the one needed to break atomic bonds to produce folded structures. Additionally, we have studied the influence of edge structure in the breaking geometry. Independently of the edge orientation the graphite layer is found to tear through the zig-zag direction and the lifled layer shows a zig-zag folding direction. Molecular Dinamics simulations and DFT calculations have been performed to understand our results, showing a strong correlation with the experiments. Comunidad Valenciana through Prometeo project.

Nonlinear low frequency electrostatic structures in a magnetized two-component auroral plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rufai, O. R., E-mail: rajirufai@gmail.com [University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, Cape-Town (South Africa); Scientific Computing, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John' s, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 5S7 (Canada); Bharuthram, R., E-mail: rbharuthram@uwc.ac.za [University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, Cape-Town (South Africa); Singh, S. V., E-mail: satyavir@iigs.iigm.res.in; Lakhina, G. S., E-mail: lakhina@iigs.iigm.res.in [University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, Cape-Town (South Africa); Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, New Panvel (W), Navi Mumbai 410218 (India)

2016-03-15

Finite amplitude nonlinear ion-acoustic solitons, double layers, and supersolitons in a magnetized two-component plasma composed of adiabatic warm ions fluid and energetic nonthermal electrons are studied by employing the Sagdeev pseudopotential technique and assuming the charge neutrality condition at equilibrium. The model generates supersoliton structures at supersonic Mach numbers regime in addition to solitons and double layers, whereas in the unmagnetized two-component plasma case only, soliton and double layer solutions can be obtained. Further investigation revealed that wave obliqueness plays a critical role for the evolution of supersoliton structures in magnetized two-component plasmas. In addition, the effect of ion temperature and nonthermal energetic electron tends to decrease the speed of oscillation of the nonlinear electrostatic structures. The present theoretical results are compared with Viking satellite observations.

Molecular Effects of Concentrated Solutes on Protein Hydration, Dynamics, and Electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Abriata, Luciano A; Spiga, Enrico; Peraro, Matteo Dal

2016-08-23

Most studies of protein structure and function are performed in dilute conditions, but proteins typically experience high solute concentrations in their physiological scenarios and biotechnological applications. High solute concentrations have well-known effects on coarse protein traits like stability, diffusion, and shape, but likely also perturb other traits through finer effects pertinent at the residue and atomic levels. Here, NMR and molecular dynamics investigations on ubiquitin disclose variable interactions with concentrated solutes that lead to localized perturbations of the protein's surface, hydration, electrostatics, and dynamics, all dependent on solute size and chemical properties. Most strikingly, small polar uncharged molecules are sticky on the protein surface, whereas charged small molecules are not, but the latter still perturb the internal protein electrostatics as they diffuse nearby. Meanwhile, interactions with macromolecular crowders are favored mainly through hydrophobic, but not through polar, surface patches. All the tested small solutes strongly slow down water exchange at the protein surface, whereas macromolecular crowders do not exert such strong perturbation. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations predict that unspecific interactions slow down microsecond- to millisecond-timescale protein dynamics despite having only mild effects on pico- to nanosecond fluctuations as corroborated by NMR. We discuss our results in the light of recent advances in understanding proteins inside living cells, focusing on the physical chemistry of quinary structure and cellular organization, and we reinforce the idea that proteins should be studied in native-like media to achieve a faithful description of their function. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systems and methods for the magnetic insulation of accelerator electrodes in electrostatic accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Grisham, Larry R

2013-12-17

The present invention provides systems and methods for the magnetic insulation of accelerator electrodes in electrostatic accelerators. Advantageously, the systems and methods of the present invention improve the practically obtainable performance of these electrostatic accelerators by addressing, among other things, voltage holding problems and conditioning issues. The problems and issues are addressed by flowing electric currents along these accelerator electrodes to produce magnetic fields that envelope the accelerator electrodes and their support structures, so as to prevent very low energy electrons from leaving the surfaces of the accelerator electrodes and subsequently picking up energy from the surrounding electric field. In various applications, this magnetic insulation must only produce modest gains in voltage holding capability to represent a significant achievement.

Electrostatic Dust Detector with Improved Sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, D.P.; Skinner, C.H.; Roquemore, A.L.

2008-01-01

Methods to measure the inventory of dust particles and to remove dust if it approaches safety limits will be required in next-step tokamaks such as ITER. An electrostatic dust detector, based on a fine grid of interlocking circuit traces, biased to 30 or 50 V, has been developed for the detection of dust on remote surfaces in air and vacuum environments. Gaining operational experience of dust detection on surfaces in tokamaks is important, however the level of dust generated in contemporary short-pulse tokamaks is comparatively low and high sensitivity is necessary to measure dust on a shot-by-shot basis. We report on modifications in the detection electronics that have increased the sensitivity of the electrostatic dust detector by a factor of up to 120, - a level suitable for measurements on contemporary tokamaks.

Dispersion of Co/CNTs via strong electrostatic adsorption method: Thermal treatment effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbarzadeh, Omid, E-mail: omid.akbarzadeh63@gmail.com; Abdullah, Bawadi, E-mail: bawadi-abdullah@petronas.com.my; Subbarao, Duvvuri, E-mail: duvvuri-subbarao@petronas.com.my [Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia); Zabidi, Noor Asmawati Mohd, E-mail: noorasmawati-mzabidi@petronas.com.my [Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia)

2015-07-22

The effect of different thermal treatment temperature on the structure of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Co particle dispersion on CNTs support is studied using Strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) method. The samples tested by N{sub 2}-adsorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). N{sub 2}-adsorption results showed BET surface area increased using thermal treatment and TEM images showed that increasing the thermal treatment temperature lead to flaky CNTs and defects introduced on the outer surface and Co particle dispersion increased.

Anionic lipids and the maintenance of membrane electrostatics in eukaryotes.

Science.gov (United States)

Platre, Matthieu Pierre; Jaillais, Yvon

2017-02-01

A wide range of signaling processes occurs at the cell surface through the reversible association of proteins from the cytosol to the plasma membrane. Some low abundant lipids are enriched at the membrane of specific compartments and thereby contribute to the identity of cell organelles by acting as biochemical landmarks. Lipids also influence membrane biophysical properties, which emerge as an important feature in specifying cellular territories. Such parameters are crucial for signal transduction and include lipid packing, membrane curvature and electrostatics. In particular, membrane electrostatics specifies the identity of the plasma membrane inner leaflet. Membrane surface charges are carried by anionic phospholipids, however the exact nature of the lipid(s) that powers the plasma membrane electrostatic field varies among eukaryotes and has been hotly debated during the last decade. Herein, we discuss the role of anionic lipids in setting up plasma membrane electrostatics and we compare similarities and differences that were found in different eukaryotic cells.

On the response of large systems to electrostatic fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Springborg, Michael [Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Saarland, 66123 Saarbrücken (Germany); Kirtman, Bernard [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States)

2015-01-22

By modifying the surfaces of a macroscopic regular system it is possible to modify the dipole moment per unit by an amount equal to a lattice vector times the elementary charge. Alternatively, we may ignore the surfaces and treat the system as being infinite and periodic. In that event the dipole moment per unit is determined only up to an additive term equal to a lattice vector times the elementary charge. Beyond mathematical arguments we show, through model calculations, that the two cases are completely equivalent, even though the origin of the additive term is very different. The response of extended systems to electrostatic fields — including internal structure, piezoelectricity, bulk charge density, and (hyper)polarizabilities — depends upon this term and is, thereby, surface-dependent. The case of piezoelectricity is analyzed in some detail.

Electrostatics Explains the Position-Dependent Effect of G⋅U Wobble Base Pairs on the Affinity of RNA Kissing Complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Abi-Ghanem, Josephine; Rabin, Clémence; Porrini, Massimiliano; Dausse, Eric; Toulmé, Jean-Jacques; Gabelica, Valérie

2017-10-06

In the RNA realm, non-Watson-Crick base pairs are abundant and can affect both the RNA 3D structure and its function. Here, we investigated the formation of RNA kissing complexes in which the loop-loop interaction is modulated by non-Watson-Crick pairs. Mass spectrometry, surface plasmon resonance, and UV-melting experiments show that the G⋅U wobble base pair favors kissing complex formation only when placed at specific positions. We tried to rationalize this effect by molecular modeling, including molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) thermodynamics calculations and PBSA calculations of the electrostatic potential surfaces. Modeling reveals that the G⋅U stabilization is due to a specific electrostatic environment defined by the base pairs of the entire loop-loop region. The loop is not symmetric, and therefore the identity and position of each base pair matters. Predicting and visualizing the electrostatic environment created by a given sequence can help to design specific kissing complexes with high affinity, for potential therapeutic, nanotechnology or analytical applications. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecular dynamics simulation of liquid structure for undercooled Zr-Nb alloys assisted with electrostatic levitation experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, S. J.; Hu, L.; Wang, L.; Wei, B.

2018-06-01

The liquid structures of undercooled Zr90Nb10, Zr70Nb30 and Zr50Nb50 alloys were studied by molecular dynamics simulation combined with electrostatic levitation experiments. The densities of three alloys were measured by electrostatic levitation to modify the Zr-Nb potential functions by adjusting parameters in potential functions. In simulation, the atomic packing in Zr-Nb alloys was more ordered at lower temperatures. The Voronoi tessellation analyses indicated Nb-centered clusters were easier to form than Zr-centered clusters although the Nb content was less than 50%. The partial pair distribution functions showed that the interactions among Zr atoms are quite different to that among Nb atoms.

Electrostatic control by lipids upon the membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. II. The influence of surface potential upon the activating ion equilibria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahrens, M L

1983-07-13

Electrostatic influences upon the enzymatic activity of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from ox brain (EC 3.6.1.3) have been studied. (1) The characteristics of the temperature dependence of the activity - the slopes and inflection temperature, Ti, of the Arrhenius plots - have been shown to depend on the total concentration, but not on the specific properties of added monovalent ions. (2) The enzymatic activity has been shown to be subject simultaneously to unspecific and specific influences of alkali-metal ions or NH+4. Ion-specific effects result from different binding constants of complexation between activating ions and enzyme. These stability constants are affected by the formation of an electrical double layer at the membrane surface. With increasing electrostatic screening, the complex formation is destabilized and, as a consequence, the enzymatic activity decreases. (3) This interaction between ion binding and surface electrostatics enables the enzyme to adapt its activity to the actual ionic conditions. This gives rise to a complex net dependence of the enzymatic activity upon the concentrations of activating ions. Such dependencies are analyzed, and an 'activity surface' has been constructed which represents the enzymatic activity as a function of simultaneously varying concentrations of sodium and potassium. The shape of this activity surface is determined by the relations between ion concentrations, surface potential and the resulting stability of the complexation between the activating ions and the enzyme. By means of three-dimensional representation it is demonstrated that the adaptability of the stability constants is of great importance with respect to the maintenance of the optimal ionic concentrations within the living cell. Therefore, by means of the surrounding membrane, the ATPase is provided with a quality, in addition to its substrate specificity and catalytic ability, which is necessary for its function as a transport enzyme.

Electrostatic shock structures in dissipative multi-ion dusty plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Elkamash, I. S.; Kourakis, I.

2018-06-01

A comprehensive analytical model is introduced for shock excitations in dusty bi-ion plasma mixtures, taking into account collisionality and kinematic (fluid) viscosity. A multicomponent plasma configuration is considered, consisting of positive ions, negative ions, electrons, and a massive charged component in the background (dust). The ionic dynamical scale is focused upon; thus, electrons are assumed to be thermalized, while the dust is stationary. A dissipative hybrid Korteweg-de Vries/Burgers equation is derived. An analytical solution is obtained, in the form of a shock structure (a step-shaped function for the electrostatic potential, or an electric field pulse) whose maximum amplitude in the far downstream region decays in time. The effect of relevant plasma configuration parameters, in addition to dissipation, is investigated. Our work extends earlier studies of ion-acoustic type shock waves in pure (two-component) bi-ion plasma mixtures.

Efficient Algorithms for Electrostatic Interactions Including Dielectric Contrasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Holm

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Coarse-grained models of soft matter are usually combined with implicit solvent models that take the electrostatic polarizability into account via a dielectric background. In biophysical or nanoscale simulations that include water, this constant can vary greatly within the system. Performing molecular dynamics or other simulations that need to compute exact electrostatic interactions between charges in those systems is computationally demanding. We review here several algorithms developed by us that perform exactly this task. For planar dielectric surfaces in partial periodic boundary conditions, the arising image charges can be either treated with the MMM2D algorithm in a very efficient and accurate way or with the electrostatic layer correction term, which enables the user to use his favorite 3D periodic Coulomb solver. Arbitrarily-shaped interfaces can be dealt with using induced surface charges with the induced charge calculation (ICC* algorithm. Finally, the local electrostatics algorithm, MEMD(Maxwell Equations Molecular Dynamics, even allows one to employ a smoothly varying dielectric constant in the systems. We introduce the concepts of these three algorithms and an extension for the inclusion of boundaries that are to be held fixed at a constant potential (metal conditions. For each method, we present a showcase application to highlight the importance of dielectric interfaces.

Effective Electrostatic Interactions Between Two Overall Neutral Surfaces with Quenched Charge Heterogeneity Over Atomic Length Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, S.

2017-12-01

Using Monte Carlo results as a reference, a classical density functional theory ( CDFT) is shown to reliably predict the forces between two heterogeneously charged surfaces immersed in an electrolyte solution, whereas the Poisson-Boltzmann ( PB) theory is demonstrated to deteriorate obviously for the same system even if the system parameters considered fall within the validity range of the PB theory in the homogeneously charged surfaces. By applying the tested CDFT, we study the effective electrostatic potential of mean force ( EPMF) between two face-face planar and hard surfaces of zero net charge on which positive and negative charges are separated and considered to present as discontinuous spots on the inside edges of the two surfaces. Main conclusions are summarized as follows: (i) strength of the EPMF in the surface charge separation case is very sensitively and positively correlated with the surface charge separation level and valency of the salt ion. Particularly, the charge separation level and the salt ion valency have a synergistic effect, which makes high limit of the EPMF strength in the surface charge separation case significantly go beyond that of the ideal homogeneously charged surface counterpart at average surface charge density similar to the average surface positive or negative charge density in the charge separation case. (ii) The surface charge distribution patterns mainly influence sign of the EPMF: symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns induce repulsive and attractive (at small distances) EPMF, respectively; but with low valency salt ions and low charge separation level the opposite may be the case. With simultaneous presence of both higher valency cation and anion, the EPMF can be repulsive at intermediate distances for asymmetrical patterns. (iii) Salt ion size has a significant impact, which makes the EPMF tend to become more and more repulsive with the ion diameter regardless of the surface charge distribution patterns and the valency of

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nebel, R.A.; Turner, L.; Tiouririne, T.N.; Barnes, D.C.; Nystrom, W.D.; Bussard, R.W.; Miley, G.H.; Javedani, J.; Yamamoto, Y.

1994-01-01

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) is one of the earliest plasma confinement concepts, having first been suggested by P. T. Farnsworth in the 1950s. The concept involves a simple apparatus of concentric spherical electrostatic grids or a combination of grids and magnetic fields. An electrostatic structure is formed from the confluence of electron or ion beams. Gridded IEC systems have demonstrated neutron yields as high as 2 * 10 10 neutrons/sec. These systems have considerable potential as small, inexpensive, portable neutron sources for assaying applications. Neutron tomography is also a potential application. Atomic physics effects strongly influence the performance of all of these systems. Important atomic effects include elastic scattering, ionization, excitation, and charge exchange. This paper discusses how an IEC system is influenced by these effects and how to design around them. Theoretical modeling and experimental results are presented

Structure of DNA toroids and electrostatic attraction of DNA duplexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherstvy, A G

2005-01-01

DNA-DNA electrostatic attraction is considered as the driving force for the formation of DNA toroids in the presence of DNA condensing cations. This attraction comes from the DNA helical charge distribution and favours hexagonal toroidal cross-sections. The latter is in agreement with recent cryo-electron microscopy studies on DNA condensed with cobalt hexammine. We treat the DNA-DNA interactions within the modern theory of electrostatic interaction between helical macromolecules. The size and thickness of the toroids is calculated within a simple model; other models of stability of DNA toroids are discussed and compared

PREFACE: Electrostatics 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, James

2015-10-01

Electrostatics 2015, supported by the Institute of Physics, was held in the Sir James Matthews building at Southampton Solent University, UK between 12th and 16th April 2015. Southampton is a historic city on the South Coast of England with a strong military and maritime history. Southampton is home to two Universities: Solent University, which hosted the conference, and the University of Southampton, where much work is undertaken related to electrostatics. 37 oral and 44 poster presentations were accepted for the conference, and 60 papers were submitted and accepted for the proceedings. The Bill Bright Memorial Lecture was delivered this year by Professor Mark Horenstein from Boston University who was, until recently, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Electrostatics. He spoke on The contribution of surface potential to diverse problems in electrostatics and his thorough knowledge of the subject of electrostatics was evident in the presentation. The first session was chaired by the Conference Chair, Dr Keith Davies, whose experience in the field showed through his frequent contributions to the discussions throughout the conference. Hazards and Electrostatic Discharge have formed a strong core to Electrostatics conferences for many years, and this conference contained sessions on both Hazards and on ESD, including an invited talk from Dr Jeremy Smallwood on ESD in Industry - Present and Future. Another strong theme to emerge from this year's programme was Non-Thermal Plasmas, which was covered in two sessions. There were two invited talks on this subject: Professor Masaaki Okubo gave a talk on Development of super-clean diesel engine and combustor using nonthermal plasma hybrid after treatment and Dr David Go presented a talk on Atmospheric-pressure ionization processes: New approaches and applications for plasmas in contact with liquids. A new innovation to the conference this year was the opportunity for conference sponsors to present to the delegates a technical

Reactivity of etoricoxib based on computational study of molecular orbitals, molecular electrostatic potential surface and Mulliken charge analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Sachdeva, Ritika; Soni, Abhinav; Singh, V. P.; Saini, G. S. S.

2018-05-01

Etoricoxib is one of the selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor drug which plays a significant role in the pharmacological management of arthritis and pain. The theoretical investigation of its reactivity is done using Density Functional Theory calculations. Molecular Electrostatic Potential Surface of etoricoxib and its Mulliken atomic charge distribution are used for the prediction of its electrophilic and nucleophilic sites. The detailed analysis of its frontier molecular orbitals is also done.

Electrostatic contribution of surface charge residues to the stability of a thermophilic protein: benchmarking experimental and predicted pKa values.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Ho Chan

Full Text Available Optimization of the surface charges is a promising strategy for increasing thermostability of proteins. Electrostatic contribution of ionizable groups to the protein stability can be estimated from the differences between the pKa values in the folded and unfolded states of a protein. Using this pKa-shift approach, we experimentally measured the electrostatic contribution of all aspartate and glutamate residues to the stability of a thermophilic ribosomal protein L30e from Thermococcus celer. The pKa values in the unfolded state were found to be similar to model compound pKas. The pKa values in both the folded and unfolded states obtained at 298 and 333 K were similar, suggesting that electrostatic contribution of ionizable groups to the protein stability were insensitive to temperature changes. The experimental pKa values for the L30e protein in the folded state were used as a benchmark to test the robustness of pKa prediction by various computational methods such as H++, MCCE, MEAD, pKD, PropKa, and UHBD. Although the predicted pKa values were affected by crystal contacts that may alter the side-chain conformation of surface charged residues, most computational methods performed well, with correlation coefficients between experimental and calculated pKa values ranging from 0.49 to 0.91 (p<0.01. The changes in protein stability derived from the experimental pKa-shift approach correlate well (r = 0.81 with those obtained from stability measurements of charge-to-alanine substituted variants of the L30e protein. Our results demonstrate that the knowledge of the pKa values in the folded state provides sufficient rationale for the redesign of protein surface charges leading to improved protein stability.

Correlation between potential well structure and neutron production in inertial electrostatic confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, M.; Yamamoto, Y.; Yoshikawa, K.; Sato, K.H.

1997-01-01

The electrostatic potential well in inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) is studied using two approaches. First, the equilibrium potential profile is obtained by solving the charge neutrality condition, i.e. n i n e , assuming the appropriate distribution functions for the ions and the electrons. The formation of a double well structure is demonstrated, with a depth depending upon the ratio between the focus radii of the electrons and the ions. The correlations between the well depth and the volume integrated neutron production due to deuterium-deuterium (DD) reactions are obtained. Second, in order to study the stability of the well, the dynamic behaviours of the potential well are calculated by performing time advancing numerical simulations on the basis of the particle in cell method. Single, double and triple wells, depending on the amount of injected ion current, are observed to be formed for ions with a monoenergetic distribution. The well in the centre of the multiwell structure is unstable and oscillates with a periods much longer than the inverse ion plasma frequency. A double well structure can be formed even for ions with a spread out energy distribution when the ion current is larger than the threshold value. The time averaged neutron production by DD fusion events is proportional to a power of the ion current involved in forming the double well structure. The results strongly suggest that the high neutron production rate should be attributed to not only the well depth but also the unstable behaviour of the potential, i.e. the intermittent peaking of the density in the centre region. A numerical simulation reveals that IEC possesses a favourable dependence of fusion reactions on the injected ion current for the application to a neutron source or a fusion reactor. (author). 9 refs, 9 figs

Loop electrostatics modulates the intersubunit interactions in ferritin.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernacchioni, Caterina; Ghini, Veronica; Pozzi, Cecilia; Di Pisa, Flavio; Theil, Elizabeth C; Turano, Paola

2014-11-21

Functional ferritins are 24-mer nanocages that self-assemble with extended contacts between pairs of 4-helix bundle subunits coupled in an antiparallel fashion along the C2 axes. The largest intersubunit interaction surface in the ferritin nanocage involves helices, but contacts also occur between groups of three residues midway in the long, solvent-exposed L-loops of facing subunits. The anchor points between intersubunit L-loop pairs are the salt bridges between the symmetry-related, conserved residues Asp80 and Lys82. The resulting quaternary structure of the cage is highly soluble and thermostable. Substitution of negatively charged Asp80 with a positively charged Lys in homopolymeric M ferritin introduces electrostatic repulsions that inhibit the oligomerization of the ferritin subunits. D80K ferritin was present in inclusion bodies under standard overexpressing conditions in E. coli, contrasting with the wild type protein. Small amounts of fully functional D80K nanocages formed when expression was slowed. The more positively charged surface results in a different solubility profile and D80K crystallized in a crystal form with a low density packing. The 3D structure of D80K variant is the same as wild type except for the side chain orientations of Lys80 and facing Lys82. When three contiguous Lys groups are introduced in D80KI81K ferritin variant the nanocage assembly is further inhibited leading to lower solubility and reduced thermal stability. Here, we demonstrate that the electrostatic pairing at the center of the L-loops has a specific kinetic role in the self-assembly of ferritin nanocages.

A Small Area In-Situ MEMS Test Structure to Accurately Measure Fracture Strength by Electrostatic Probing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bitsie, Fernando; Jensen, Brian D.; de Boer, Maarten

1999-07-15

We have designed, fabricated, tested and modeled a first generation small area test structure for MEMS fracture studies by electrostatic rather than mechanical probing. Because of its small area, this device has potential applications as a lot monitor of strength or fatigue of the MEMS structural material. By matching deflection versus applied voltage data to a 3-D model of the test structure, we develop high confidence that the local stresses achieved in the gage section are greater than 1 GPa. Brittle failure of the polycrystalline silicon was observed.

Generation of sheared poloidal flows by electrostatic and magnetic Reynolds stress in the boundary plasma of HT-7 tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, G.S.; Wan, B.N.; Li, J.

2005-01-01

The radial profiles of electrostatic and magnetic Reynolds stress (Maxwell stress) have been measured in the plasma boundary region of HT-7 tokamak. Experimental results show that the radial gradient of electrostatic Reynolds stress (ERS) changes sign across the last closed flux surface, and the neoclassical flow damping and the damping due to charge exchange processes are balanced by the radial gradient of ERS, which sustains the equilibrium sheared flow structure in a steady state. The contribution of magnetic Reynolds stress was found unimportant in a low β plasma. Detailed analyses indicate that the propagation properties of turbulence in radial and poloidal directions and the profiles of potential fluctuation level are responsible for the radial structure of ERS. (author)

Biomolecular electrostatics and solvation: a computational perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Pengyu; Chun, Jaehun; Thomas, Dennis G; Schnieders, Michael J; Marucho, Marcelo; Zhang, Jiajing; Baker, Nathan A

2012-11-01

An understanding of molecular interactions is essential for insight into biological systems at the molecular scale. Among the various components of molecular interactions, electrostatics are of special importance because of their long-range nature and their influence on polar or charged molecules, including water, aqueous ions, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and membrane lipids. In particular, robust models of electrostatic interactions are essential for understanding the solvation properties of biomolecules and the effects of solvation upon biomolecular folding, binding, enzyme catalysis, and dynamics. Electrostatics, therefore, are of central importance to understanding biomolecular structure and modeling interactions within and among biological molecules. This review discusses the solvation of biomolecules with a computational biophysics view toward describing the phenomenon. While our main focus lies on the computational aspect of the models, we provide an overview of the basic elements of biomolecular solvation (e.g. solvent structure, polarization, ion binding, and non-polar behavior) in order to provide a background to understand the different types of solvation models.

Effects of electrostatic trapping on neoclassical transport in an impure plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazeltine, R.D.; Ware, A.A.

1976-01-01

Contamination of a toroidally confined plasma by highly charged impurity ions can produce substantial variation of the electrostatic potential within a magnetic surface. The resulting electrostatic trapping and electrostatic drifts, of hydrogen ions and electrons, yields significant alterations in neoclassical transport theory. A transport theory which includes these effects is derived from the drift-kinetic equation, with an ordering scheme modeled on the parameters of recent tokamak experiments. The theory self-consistently predicts that electrostatic trapping should be fully comparable to magnetic trapping, and provides transport coefficients which, depending quadratically upon the temperature and pressure gradients, differ markedly from the standard neoclassical coefficients for a pure plasma

Contribution of electrostatics to the binding of pancreatic-type ribonucleases to membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundlass, Nadia K; Eller, Chelcie H; Cui, Qiang; Raines, Ronald T

2013-09-17

Pancreatic-type ribonucleases show clinical promise as chemotherapeutic agents but are limited in efficacy by the inefficiency of their uptake by human cells. Cellular uptake can be increased by the addition of positive charges to the surface of ribonucleases, either by site-directed mutagenesis or by chemical modification. This observation has led to the hypothesis that ribonuclease uptake by cells depends on electrostatics. Here, we use a combination of experimental and computational methods to ascertain the contribution of electrostatics to the cellular uptake of ribonucleases. We focus on three homologous ribonucleases: Onconase (frog), ribonuclease A (cow), and ribonuclease 1 (human). Our results support the hypothesis that electrostatics are necessary for the cellular uptake of Onconase. In contrast, specific interactions with cell-surface components likely contribute more to the cellular uptake of ribonuclease A and ribonuclease 1 than do electrostatics. These findings provide insight for the design of new cytotoxic ribonucleases.

Aerial electrostatic spray deposition and canopy penetration in cotton

Science.gov (United States)

Spray deposition on abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces along with canopy penetration are essential for insect control and foliage defoliation in cotton production agriculture. Researchers have reported that electrostatically charged sprays have increased spray deposit onto these surfaces under widel...

Reintroducing electrostatics into macromolecular crystallographic refinement: application to neutron crystallography and DNA hydration.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenn, Timothy D; Schnieders, Michael J; Mustyakimov, Marat; Wu, Chuanjie; Langan, Paul; Pande, Vijay S; Brunger, Axel T

2011-04-13

Most current crystallographic structure refinements augment the diffraction data with a priori information consisting of bond, angle, dihedral, planarity restraints, and atomic repulsion based on the Pauli exclusion principle. Yet, electrostatics and van der Waals attraction are physical forces that provide additional a priori information. Here, we assess the inclusion of electrostatics for the force field used for all-atom (including hydrogen) joint neutron/X-ray refinement. Two DNA and a protein crystal structure were refined against joint neutron/X-ray diffraction data sets using force fields without electrostatics or with electrostatics. Hydrogen-bond orientation/geometry favors the inclusion of electrostatics. Refinement of Z-DNA with electrostatics leads to a hypothesis for the entropic stabilization of Z-DNA that may partly explain the thermodynamics of converting the B form of DNA to its Z form. Thus, inclusion of electrostatics assists joint neutron/X-ray refinements, especially for placing and orienting hydrogen atoms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DelPhi Web Server: A comprehensive online suite for electrostatic calculations of biological macromolecules and their complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Subhra; Witham, Shawn; Zhang, Jie; Zhenirovskyy, Maxim; Rocchia, Walter; Alexov, Emil

2011-01-01

Here we report a web server, the DelPhi web server, which utilizes DelPhi program to calculate electrostatic energies and the corresponding electrostatic potential and ionic distributions, and dielectric map. The server provides extra services to fix structural defects, as missing atoms in the structural file and allows for generation of missing hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen placement and the corresponding DelPhi calculations can be done with user selected force field parameters being either Charmm22, Amber98 or OPLS. Upon completion of the calculations, the user is given option to download fixed and protonated structural file, together with the parameter and Delphi output files for further analysis. Utilizing Jmol viewer, the user can see the corresponding structural file, to manipulate it and to change the presentation. In addition, if the potential map is requested to be calculated, the potential can be mapped onto the molecule surface. The DelPhi web server is available from http://compbio.clemson.edu/delphi_webserver. PMID:24683424

AESOP: A Python Library for Investigating Electrostatics in Protein Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Reed E S; Mohan, Rohith R; Gorham, Ronald D; Kieslich, Chris A; Morikis, Dimitrios

2017-05-09

Electric fields often play a role in guiding the association of protein complexes. Such interactions can be further engineered to accelerate complex association, resulting in protein systems with increased productivity. This is especially true for enzymes where reaction rates are typically diffusion limited. To facilitate quantitative comparisons of electrostatics in protein families and to describe electrostatic contributions of individual amino acids, we previously developed a computational framework called AESOP. We now implement this computational tool in Python with increased usability and the capability of performing calculations in parallel. AESOP utilizes PDB2PQR and Adaptive Poisson-Boltzmann Solver to generate grid-based electrostatic potential files for protein structures provided by the end user. There are methods within AESOP for quantitatively comparing sets of grid-based electrostatic potentials in terms of similarity or generating ensembles of electrostatic potential files for a library of mutants to quantify the effects of perturbations in protein structure and protein-protein association. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of electrostatics on the chemodynamics of highly charged metal-polymer nanoparticle complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Duval, Jérôme F L; Farinha, José Paulo S; Pinheiro, José P

2013-11-12

In this work, the impact of electrostatics on the stability constant, the rate of association/dissociation, and the lability of complexes formed between Cd(II), Pb(II), and carboxyl-modified polymer nanoparticles (also known as latex particles) of radius ∼ 50 nm is systematically investigated via electroanalytical measurements over a wide range of pHs and NaNO3 electrolyte concentrations. The corresponding interfacial structure and key electrostatic properties of the particles are independently derived from their electrokinetic response, successfully interpreted using soft particle electrohydrodynamic formalism, and complemented by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis. The results underpin the presence of an ∼0.7-1 nm thick permeable and highly charged shell layer at the surface of the polymer nanoparticles. Their electrophoretic mobility further exhibits a minimum versus NaNO3 concentration due to strong polarization of the electric double layer. Integrating these structural and electrostatic particle features with recent theory on chemodynamics of particulate metal complexes yields a remarkable recovery of the measured increase in complex stability with increasing pH and/or decreasing solution salinity. In the case of the strongly binding Pb(II), the discrepancy at pH > 5.5 is unambiguously assigned to the formation of multidendate complexes with carboxylate groups located in the particle shell. With increasing pH and/or decreasing electrolyte concentration, the theory further predicts a kinetically controlled formation of metal complexes and a dramatic loss of their lability (especially for lead) on the time-scale of diffusion toward a macroscopic reactive electrode surface. These theoretical findings are again shown to be in agreement with experimental evidence.

Charged particle reflection by a planar artificially structured boundary with electrostatic plugging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. M. Hedlof

2017-11-01

Full Text Available A classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulation is used to investigate an artificially structured boundary for confinement and control of charged particles. The artificially structured boundary considered here incorporates a planar sequence of conducting wires, where adjacent wires carry current in opposite directions. Such a configuration creates a sequence of magnetic cusps and was studied previously [C. A. Ordonez, J. Appl. Phys. 106, 024905 (2009]. The effect of introducing a sequence of electrodes for electrostatic plugging of the cusps is investigated. The results of the simulations are used to identify regions of parameter space in which particle losses through the cusps may be negligible in the single particle limit. A trap based on a cylindrical generalization of the artificially structured boundary presented here may lead to a method for confining non-neutral and partially neutralized plasmas along the edge, such that the bulk of a confined plasma is effectively free of externally applied electromagnetic fields.

Optics elements for modeling electrostatic lenses and accelerator components: III. Electrostatic deflectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, T.A.; Gillespie, G.H.

2000-01-01

Ion-beam optics models for simulating electrostatic prisms (deflectors) of different geometries have been developed for the envelope (matrix) computer code TRACE 3-D as a part of the development of a suite of electrostatic beamline element models which includes lenses, acceleration columns, quadrupoles and prisms. The models for electrostatic prisms are described in this paper. The electrostatic prism model options allow the first-order modeling of cylindrical, spherical and toroidal electrostatic deflectors. The application of these models in the development of ion-beam transport systems is illustrated through the modeling of a spherical electrostatic analyzer as a component of the new low-energy beamline at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Although initial tests following installation of the new beamline showed that the new spherical electrostatic analyzer was not behaving as predicted by these first-order models, operational conditions were found under which the analyzer now works properly as a double-focusing spherical electrostatic prism

Quantitative nanoscale electrostatics of viruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernando-Pérez, M; Cartagena-Rivera, A X; Lošdorfer Božič, A; Carrillo, P J P; San Martín, C; Mateu, M G; Raman, A; Podgornik, R; de Pablo, P J

2015-11-07

Electrostatics is one of the fundamental driving forces of the interaction between biomolecules in solution. In particular, the recognition events between viruses and host cells are dominated by both specific and non-specific interactions and the electric charge of viral particles determines the electrostatic force component of the latter. Here we probe the charge of individual viruses in liquid milieu by measuring the electrostatic force between a viral particle and the Atomic Force Microscope tip. The force spectroscopy data of co-adsorbed ϕ29 bacteriophage proheads and mature virions, adenovirus and minute virus of mice capsids is utilized for obtaining the corresponding density of charge for each virus. The systematic differences of the density of charge between the viral particles are consistent with the theoretical predictions obtained from X-ray structural data. Our results show that the density of charge is a distinguishing characteristic of each virus, depending crucially on the nature of the viral capsid and the presence/absence of the genetic material.

Compliment Graphene Oxide Coating on Silk Fiber Surface via Electrostatic Force for Capacitive Humidity Sensor Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Kook In; Kim, Seungdu; Lee, In Gyu; Kim, Jong Pil; Kim, Jung-Ha; Hong, Suck Won; Cho, Byung Jin; Hwang, Wan Sik

2017-02-19

Cylindrical silk fiber (SF) was coated with Graphene oxide (GO) for capacitive humidity sensor applications. Negatively charged GO in the solution was attracted to the positively charged SF surface via electrostatic force without any help from adhesive intermediates. The magnitude of the positively charged SF surface was controlled through the static electricity charges created on the SF surface. The GO coating ability on the SF improved as the SF's positive charge increased. The GO-coated SFs at various conditions were characterized using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, and LCR meter. Unlike the intact SF, the GO-coated SF showed clear response-recovery behavior and well-behaved repeatability when it was exposed to 20% relative humidity (RH) and 90% RH alternatively in a capacitive mode. This approach allows humidity sensors to take advantage of GO's excellent sensing properties and SF's flexibility, expediting the production of flexible, low power consumption devices at relatively low costs.

Optics Elements for Modeling Electrostatic Lenses and Accelerator Components: III. Electrostatic Deflectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, T.A.; Gillespie, G.H.

1999-01-01

Ion-beam optics models for simulating electrostatic prisms (deflectors) of different geometries have been developed for the computer code TRACE 3-D. TRACE 3-D is an envelope (matrix) code, which includes a linear space charge model, that was originally developed to model bunched beams in magnetic transport systems and radiofrequency (RF) accelerators. Several new optical models for a number of electrostatic lenses and accelerator columns have been developed recently that allow the code to be used for modeling beamlines and accelerators with electrostatic components. The new models include a number of options for: (1) Einzel lenses, (2) accelerator columns, (3) electrostatic prisms, and (4) electrostatic quadrupoles. A prescription for setting up the initial beam appropriate to modeling 2-D (continuous) beams has also been developed. The models for electrostatic prisms are described in this paper. The electrostatic prism model options allow the modeling of cylindrical, spherical, and toroidal electrostatic deflectors. The application of these models in the development of ion-beam transport systems is illustrated through the modeling of a spherical electrostatic analyzer as a component of the new low energy beamline at CAMS

Electrostatics effects in granular materials

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Saurabh; Chaudhuri, Bodhisattwa

2013-06-01

This purpose of this study is to investigate the role of physiochemical properties and operational conditions in determining the electrostatic interactions between two species on a surface under typical industrial conditions. The variables considered for the study were particle type, particle size and shape, loading mass, surface type, angle of inclination of chute, nature and concentration of additive. Triboelectrification of simple and binary mixtures in a simple hopper and chute geometry was observed to be strongly linked to work function and moisture content of the powdered material.

Large electrostatic accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, C.M.

1984-01-01

The paper is divided into four parts: a discussion of the motivation for the construction of large electrostatic accelerators, a description and discussion of several large electrostatic accelerators which have been recently completed or are under construction, a description of several recent innovations which may be expected to improve the performance of large electrostatic accelerators in the future, and a description of an innovative new large electrostatic accelerator whose construction is scheduled to begin next year

Structures, profile consistency, and transport scaling in electrostatic convection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bian, N.H.; Garcia, O.E.

2005-01-01

Two mechanisms at the origin of profile consistency in models of electrostatic turbulence in magnetized plasmas are considered. One involves turbulent diffusion in collisionless plasmas and the subsequent turbulent equipartition of Lagrangian invariants. By the very nature of its definition...

The Electromechanical Behavior of a Micro-Ring Driven by Traveling Electrostatic Force

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Xiuqian; Chen, Yibao; Chen, Da-Chih; Huang, Kuo-Yi; Hu, Yuh-Chung

2012-01-01

There is no literature mentioning the electromechanical behavior of micro structures driven by traveling electrostatic forces. This article is thus the first to present the dynamics and stabilities of a micro-ring subjected to a traveling electrostatic force. The traveling electrostatic force may be induced by sequentially actuated electrodes which are arranged around the flexible micro-ring. The analysis is based on a linearized distributed model considering the electromechanical coupling effects between electrostatic force and structure. The micro-ring will resonate when the traveling speeds of the electrostatic force approach some critical speeds. The critical speeds are equal to the ratio of the natural frequencies to the wave number of the correlative natural mode of the ring. Apart from resonance, the ring may be unstable at some unstable traveling speeds. The unstable regions appear not only near the critical speeds, but also near some fractions of some critical speeds differences. Furthermore the unstable regions expand with increasing driving voltage. This article may lead to a new research branch on electrostatic-driven micro devices. PMID:22438705

Addendum: Compliant electrostatic chuck based on hairy microstructure (2013 Smart Mater. Struct. 22 015019) and Electrostatic chuck consisting of polymeric electrostatic inductive fibers for handling of objects with rough surfaces (2013 Smart Mater. Struct. 22 095010)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Shigeki; Soda, Fumiaki; Sawai, Kenji; Dhelika, Radon; Kikutani, Takeshi; Takarada, Wataru; Takahashi, Kunio

2014-01-01

The recent papers Saito et al 2013 Smart Mater. Struct. 22 015019 and Dhelika et al 2013 Smart Mater. Struct. 22 095010 described studies of an electrostatic chuck that mimics the structure of gecko-like toes. Earlier work published by the authors and other researchers is cited to further illustrate the origin and motivation of the research. (paper)

Inertial electrostatic confinement I(IEC) neutron sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nebel, R.A.; Barnes, D.C.; Caramana, E.J.; Janssen, R.D.; Nystrom, W.D.; Tiouririne, T.N.; Trent, B.C.; Miley, G.H.; Javedani, J.

1995-01-01

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) is one of the earliest plasma confinement concepts, having first been suggested by P.T. Farnsworth in the 1950s. The concept involves a simple apparatus of concentric spherical electrostatic grids or a combination of grids and magnetic fields. An electrostatic structure is formed from the confluence of electron or ion beams. Gridded IEC systems have demonstrated neutron yields as high as 2*10 [10]. neutrons/sec in steady state. These systems have considerable potential as small, inexpensive, portable neutron sources for assaying applications. Neutron tomography is also a potential application. This paper discusses the IEC concept and how it can be adapted to a steady-state assaying source and an intense pulsed neutron source. Theoretical modeling and experimental results are presented

Visible Photodetectors Based on Organic-Inorganic Hybrids Using Electrostatic Spraying Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang-Wen Ji

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses an organic-inorganic hybrid white photodetector with the structure of ITO /AZO/ZnO NWs:P3HT: PCBM/PEDOT: PSS/Al produced with an electrostatic spraying method. The method of production was as follows: First, different spraying methods (continuous spraying, discontinuous spraying and different spraying times were tested before the final electrostatic spraying. Then, different annealing times (10 min and 20 min were tested to anneal the coated film. Lastly, we investigated the photoelectric properties, including transparency analysis of the film surface topography through XRD, OM, FE-SEM, AFM and UV-VIS. The results showed that the detector with discontinuous spraying and 20 mins annealing had a photocurrent of approx. 22.1×10-4A, dark current (drain current of approx. 1.94×10-7A, and a ratio of photocurrent to dark current of approximately 1.14×104, which produced optimal photoelectric characteristics.

A Modified Electrostatic Adsorption Apparatus for Latent Fingerprint Development on Unfired Cartridge Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jingyang; Zhang, Ziyuan; Zheng, Xiaochun; Bond, John W

2017-05-01

Visualization of latent fingerprints on metallic surfaces by the method of applying electrostatic charging and adsorption is considered as a promising chemical-free method, which has the merit of nondestruction, and is considered to be effective for some difficult situations such as aged fingerprint deposits or those exposed to environmental extremes. In fact, a portable electrostatic generator can be easily accessible in a local forensic technology laboratory, which is already widely used in the visualization of footwear impressions. In this study, a modified version of this electrostatic apparatus is proposed for latent fingerprint development and has shown great potential in visualizing fingerprints on metallic surfaces such as cartridge cases. Results indicate that this experimental arrangement can successfully develop aged latent fingerprints on metal surfaces, and we demonstrate its effectiveness compared with existing conventional fingerprint recovery methods. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Linac boosters for electrostatic machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben-Zvi, I.; Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY

1990-01-01

A survey of linacs which are used as boosters to electrostatic accelerators is presented. Machines both operating and under construction, copper and superconducting, are reviewed. The review includes data on the accelerating structures, performance, rf and control, beam optics, budget, vacuum and cryogenics. (orig.)

Propagation of high frequency electrostatic surface waves along the planar interface between plasma and dusty plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Rinku; Dey, M.

2018-04-01

An analytical model is developed that explains the propagation of a high frequency electrostatic surface wave along the interface of a plasma system where semi-infinite electron-ion plasma is interfaced with semi-infinite dusty plasma. The model emphasizes that the source of such high frequency waves is inherent in the presence of ion acoustic and dust ion acoustic/dust acoustic volume waves in electron-ion plasma and dusty plasma region. Wave dispersion relation is obtained for two distinct cases and the role of plasma parameters on wave dispersion is analyzed in short and long wavelength limits. The normalized surface wave frequency is seen to grow linearly for lower wave number but becomes constant for higher wave numbers in both the cases. It is observed that the normalized frequency depends on ion plasma frequencies when dust oscillation frequency is neglected.

Detachment of colloidal particles from collector surfaces with different electrostatic charge and hydrophobicity by attachment to air bubbles in a parallel plate flow chamber

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Suarez, CG; van der Mei, HC; Busscher, HJ

1999-01-01

The detachment of polystyrene particles adhering to collector surfaces with different electrostatic charge and hydrophobicity by attachment to a passing air bubble has been studied in a parallel plate flow chamber. Particle detachment decreased linearly with increasing air bubble velocity and

Impact of local electrostatic field rearrangement on field ionization

Science.gov (United States)

Katnagallu, Shyam; Dagan, Michal; Parviainen, Stefan; Nematollahi, Ali; Grabowski, Blazej; Bagot, Paul A. J.; Rolland, Nicolas; Neugebauer, Jörg; Raabe, Dierk; Vurpillot, François; Moody, Michael P.; Gault, Baptiste

2018-03-01

Field ion microscopy allows for direct imaging of surfaces with true atomic resolution. The high charge density distribution on the surface generates an intense electric field that can induce ionization of gas atoms. We investigate the dynamic nature of the charge and the consequent electrostatic field redistribution following the departure of atoms initially constituting the surface in the form of an ion, a process known as field evaporation. We report on a new algorithm for image processing and tracking of individual atoms on the specimen surface enabling quantitative assessment of shifts in the imaged atomic positions. By combining experimental investigations with molecular dynamics simulations, which include the full electric charge, we confirm that change is directly associated with the rearrangement of the electrostatic field that modifies the imaging gas ionization zone. We derive important considerations for future developments of data reconstruction in 3D field ion microscopy, in particular for precise quantification of lattice strains and characterization of crystalline defects at the atomic scale.

Electrostatics in Chemistry

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Electrostatics in Chemistry. 3. Molecular Electrostatic Potential: Visualization and Topography. Shridhar R Gadre and Pravin K Bhadane. 1 1. Basic Principles, Resona- nce, Vol.4, No.2, 11-19, 1999. 2. Electrostatic Potentials of. Atoms, Ions and Molecules,. Resonance, Vol.4, No.5, 40-51,. 1999. Topographical features of the ...

Multilayer out-of-plane overlap electrostatic energy harvesting structure actuated by blood pressure for powering intra-cardiac implants

Science.gov (United States)

Deterre, M.; Risquez, S.; Bouthaud, B.; Dal Molin, R.; Woytasik, M.; Lefeuvre, E.

2013-12-01

We present an innovative multilayer out-of-plane electrostatic energy harvesting device conceived in view of scavenging energy from regular blood pressure in the heart. This concept involves the use of a deformable packaging for the implant in order to transmit the blood pressure to the electrostatic transducer. As shown in previous work, this is possible by using thin metal micro-bellows structure, providing long term hermeticity and high flexibility. The design of the electrostatic device has overcome several challenges such as the very low frequency of the mechanical excitation (1 to 2 Hz) and the small available room in the medical implant. Analytical and numerical models have been used to maximize the capacitance variation, and hence to optimize the energy conversion. We have theoretically shown that a 25-layer transducer with 6-mm diameter and 1-mm thickness could harvest at least 20 mJ per heart beat in the left ventricle under a maximum voltage of 75 V. These results show that the proposed concept is promising and could power the next generation of leadless pacemakers.

Electronic structure of bulk AnO{sub 2} (An = U, Np, Pu) and water adsorption on the (111) and (110) surfaces of UO{sub 2} and PuO{sub 2} from hybrid density functional theory within the periodic electrostatic embedded cluster method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wellington, Joseph P.W. [Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); Kerridge, Andrew [Department of Chemistry, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YP (United Kingdom); Austin, Jonathan [National Nuclear Laboratory, Chadwick House, Warrington Road, Birchwood Park, Warrington WA3 6AE (United Kingdom); Kaltsoyannis, Nikolas, E-mail: nikolas.kaltsoyannis@manchester.ac.uk [School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

2016-12-15

Generalised gradient approximation (PBE) and hybrid (PBE0) density functional theory (DFT) within the periodic electrostatic embedded cluster method have been used to study AnO{sub 2} bulk and surfaces (An = U, Np, Pu). The electronic structure has been investigated by examining the projected density of states (PDOS). While PBE incorrectly predicts these systems to be metallic, PBE0 finds them to be insulators, with the composition of the valence and conduction levels agreeing well with experiment. Molecular and dissociative water adsorption on the (111) and (110) surfaces of UO{sub 2} and PuO{sub 2} has been investigated, with that on the (110) surface being stronger than on the (111). Similar energies are found for molecular and dissociative adsorption on the (111) surfaces, while on the (110) there is a clear preference for dissociative adsorption. Adsorption energies and geometries on the (111) surface of UO{sub 2} are in good agreement with recent periodic DFT studies using the GGA+U approach, and our data for dissociative adsorption on the (110) surface of PuO{sub 2} match experiment rather well, especially when dispersion corrections are included. - Graphical abstract: The electronic structures of AnO{sub 2} (An = U, Np, Pu) are studied computationally with hybrid density functional theory, and the geometries and energetics of water adsorption on the low index surfaces are presented.

Characterizing the Performance of the Wheel Electrostatic Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Johansen, Michael R.; Mackey, P. J.; Holbert, E.; Calle, C. I.; Clements, J. S.

2013-01-01

Insulators need to be discharged after each wheel revolution. Sensor responses repeatable within one standard deviation in the noise of the signal. Insulators may not need to be cleaned after each revolution. Parent Technology- Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment/Electrometer Electrostatic sensors with dissimilar cover insulators Protruding insulators tribocharge against regolith simulant Developed for use on the scoop for the 2001 Mars Odyssey lander Wheel Electrostatic Spectrometer Embedded electrostatic sensors in prototype Martian rover wheel If successful, this technology will enable constant electrostatic testing on Mars Air ionizing fan used to neutralize the surface charge on cover insulators . WES rolled on JSClA lunar simulant Control experiment -Static elimination not conducted between trials -Capacitor discharged after each experiment Charge neutralization experiment -Static elimination conducted between trials -Capacitor discharged after each experiment. Air ionizing fan used on insulators after each wheel revolution Capacitor discharged after each trial Care was taken to roll WES with same speed/pressure Error bars represent one standard deviation in the noise of e ach sensor

Electrostatic tuning of permeation and selectivity in aquaporin water channels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mogens O Stibius; Tajkhorshid, E.; Schulten, K.

2003-01-01

Water permeation and electrostatic interactions between water and channel are investigated in the Escherichia coli glycerol uptake facilitator GlpF, a member of the aquaporin water channel family, by molecular dynamics simulations. A tetrameric model of the channel embedded in a 16:0/ 18:1c9...... with the protein electrostatic fields enforce a bipolar water configuration inside the channel with dipole inversion at the NPA motifs. At the NPA motifs water-protein electrostatic interactions facilitate this inversion. Furthermore, water-water electrostatic interactions are in all regions inside the channel...... stronger than water-protein interactions, except near a conserved, positively charged Arg residue. We find that variations of the protein electrostatic field through the channel, owing to preserved structural features, completely explain the bipolar orientation of water. This orientation persists despite...

Electrostatic Effects in Phase Transitions of Biomembranes between Cubic Phases and Lamellar Liquid-Crystalline (Lα) phase

Science.gov (United States)

Masum, Shah Md.; Li, Shu Jie; Tamba, Yukihiro; Yamashita, Yuko; Yamazaki, Masahito

2004-04-01

Elucidation of the mechanisms of transitions between cubic phase and liquid-crystalline (Lα) phase, and between different IPMS cubic phases, are essential for understanding of dynamics of biomembranes and topological transformation of lipid membranes. Recently, we found that electrostatic interactions due to surface charges of lipid membranes induce transition between cubic phase and Lα phase, and between different IPMS cubic phases. As electrostatic interactions increase, the most stable phase of a monoolein (MO) membrane changes: Q224 ⇒ Q229 ⇒ Lα. We also found that a de novo designed peptide partitioning into electrically neutral lipid membrane changed the phase stability of the MO membranes. As peptide-1 concentration increased, the most stable phase of a MO membrane changes: Q224 ⇒ Q229 ⇒Lα. In both cases, the increase in the electrostatic repulsive interaction greatly reduced the absolute value of spontaneous curvature of the MO monolayer membrane. We also investigated factors such as poly (L-lysine) and osmotic stress to control structure and phase stability of DOPA/MO membranes. Based on these results, we discuss the mechanism of the effect of electrostatic interactions on the stability of cubic phase.

Rational redesign of inhibitors of furin/kexin processing proteases by electrostatic mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Xiao-hui; Zhang, Qing; Ding, Da-fu

2004-12-01

To model the three-dimensional structure and investigate the interaction mechanism of the proprotein convertase furin/kexin and their inhibitors (eglin c mutants). The three-dimensional complex structures of furin/kexin with its inhibitors, eglin c mutants, were generated by modeller program using the newly published X-ray crystallographical structures of mouse furin and yeast kexin as templates. The electrostatic interaction energy of each complex was calculated and the results were compared with the experimentally determined inhibition constants to find the correlation between them. High quality models of furin/kexin-eglin c mutants were obtained and used for calculation of the electrostatic interaction energies between the proteases and their inhibitors. The calculated electrostatic energies of interaction showed a linear correlation to the experimental inhibition constants. The modeled structures give good explanations of the specificity of eglin c mutants to furin/kexin. The electrostatic interactions play important roles in inhibitory activity of eglin c mutants to furin/kexin. The results presented here provided quantitative structural and functional information concerning the role of the charge-charge interactions in the binding of furin/kexin and their inhibitors.

Electrostatic interactions drive native-like aggregation of human alanine:glyoxylate aminostransferase.

Science.gov (United States)

Dindo, Mirco; Conter, Carolina; Cellini, Barbara

2017-11-01

Protein aggregate formation is the basis of several misfolding diseases, including those displaying loss-of-function pathogenesis. Although aggregation is often attributed to the population of intermediates exposing hydrophobic surfaces, the contribution of electrostatic forces has recently gained attention. Here, we combined computational and in vitro studies to investigate the aggregation process of human peroxisomal alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT), a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme involved in glyoxylate detoxification. We demonstrated that AGT is susceptible to electrostatic aggregation due to its peculiar surface charge anisotropy and that PLP binding counteracts the self-association process. The two polymorphic mutations P11L and I340M exert opposite effects. The P11L substitution enhances the aggregation tendency, probably by increasing surface charge anisotropy, while I340M plays a stabilizing role. In light of these results, we examined the effects of the most common missense mutations leading to primary hyperoxaluria type I (PH1), a rare genetic disorder associated with abnormal calcium oxalate precipitation in the urinary tract. All of them endow AGT with a strong electrostatic aggregation propensity. Moreover, we predicted that pathogenic mutations of surface residues could alter charge distribution, thus inducing aggregation under physiological conditions. A global model describing the AGT aggregation process is provided. Overall, the results indicate that the contribution of electrostatic interactions in determining the fate of proteins and the effect of amino acid substitutions should not be underestimated and provide the basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies for PH1 aimed at increasing AGT stability. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Theoretical potential for low energy consumption phase change memory utilizing electrostatically-induced structural phase transitions in 2D materials

Science.gov (United States)

Rehn, Daniel A.; Li, Yao; Pop, Eric; Reed, Evan J.

2018-01-01

Structural phase-change materials are of great importance for applications in information storage devices. Thermally driven structural phase transitions are employed in phase-change memory to achieve lower programming voltages and potentially lower energy consumption than mainstream nonvolatile memory technologies. However, the waste heat generated by such thermal mechanisms is often not optimized, and could present a limiting factor to widespread use. The potential for electrostatically driven structural phase transitions has recently been predicted and subsequently reported in some two-dimensional materials, providing an athermal mechanism to dynamically control properties of these materials in a nonvolatile fashion while achieving potentially lower energy consumption. In this work, we employ DFT-based calculations to make theoretical comparisons of the energy required to drive electrostatically-induced and thermally-induced phase transitions. Determining theoretical limits in monolayer MoTe2 and thin films of Ge2Sb2Te5, we find that the energy consumption per unit volume of the electrostatically driven phase transition in monolayer MoTe2 at room temperature is 9% of the adiabatic lower limit of the thermally driven phase transition in Ge2Sb2Te5. Furthermore, experimentally reported phase change energy consumption of Ge2Sb2Te5 is 100-10,000 times larger than the adiabatic lower limit due to waste heat flow out of the material, leaving the possibility for energy consumption in monolayer MoTe2-based devices to be orders of magnitude smaller than Ge2Sb2Te5-based devices.

Factors affecting the electrostatic charge of ceramic powders; Factores que afectan la carga electrostatica en polvos ceremicos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorite, I; Romero, J; Fernandez, J F

2011-07-01

The phenomenon of electrostatic charge in ceramic powders takes place when the particle surfaces enter in contact between them or with the containers. The accumulation of electrostatic charge is of relevance in ceramic powders in view of their insulating character and the risk of explosions during the material handling. In this work the main factors that affect the appearance of intrinsic charge and tribo-charge in ceramic powder have been studied. In ceramic powders of alumina it has been verified that the smallest particle sizes present an increase of the electrostatic charge of negative polarity. A correlation has been observed between the nature of the OH -surface groups and the electrostatic charge. The intrinsic charge and the tribocharge in ceramic powders can be diminished by compensating the surface groups that support the charge. The dry dispersion of nanoparticles on microparticles allows surface charge compensation with a noticeable modification of the powder agglomeration. (Author) 19 refs.

Impact of Electrostatics on Processing and Product Performance of Pharmaceutical Solids.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Parind Mahendrakumar; Tan, Bernice Mei Jin; Liew, Celine Valeria; Chan, Lai Wah; Heng, Paul Wan Sia

2015-01-01

Manufacturing of pharmaceutical solids involves different unit operations and processing steps such as powder blending, fluidization, sieving, powder coating, pneumatic conveying and spray drying. During these operations, particles come in contact with other particles, different metallic, glass or polymer surfaces and can become electrically charged. Electrostatic charging often gives a negative connotation as it creates sticking, jamming, segregation or other issues during tablet manufacturing, capsule filling, film packaging and other pharmaceutical operations. A thorough and fundamental appreciation of the current knowledge of mechanisms and the potential outcomes is essential in order to minimize potential risks resulting from this phenomenon. The intent of this review is to discuss the electrostatic properties of pharmaceutical powders, equipment surfaces and devices affecting pharmaceutical processing and product performance. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the electrostatic charging are described and factors affecting electrostatic charging have been reviewed in detail. Feasibility of different methods used in the laboratory and pharmaceutical industry to measure charge propensity and decay has been summarized. Different computational and experimental methods studied have proven that the particle charging is a very complex phenomenon and control of particle charging is extremely important to achieve reliable manufacturing and reproducible product performance.

Compliment Graphene Oxide Coating on Silk Fiber Surface via Electrostatic Force for Capacitive Humidity Sensor Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kook In Han

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Cylindrical silk fiber (SF was coated with Graphene oxide (GO for capacitive humidity sensor applications. Negatively charged GO in the solution was attracted to the positively charged SF surface via electrostatic force without any help from adhesive intermediates. The magnitude of the positively charged SF surface was controlled through the static electricity charges created on the SF surface. The GO coating ability on the SF improved as the SF’s positive charge increased. The GO-coated SFs at various conditions were characterized using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, Raman spectroscopy, and LCR meter. Unlike the intact SF, the GO-coated SF showed clear response-recovery behavior and well-behaved repeatability when it was exposed to 20% relative humidity (RH and 90% RH alternatively in a capacitive mode. This approach allows humidity sensors to take advantage of GO’s excellent sensing properties and SF’s flexibility, expediting the production of flexible, low power consumption devices at relatively low costs.

Embedding beyond electrostatics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nåbo, Lina J.; Olsen, Jógvan Magnus Haugaard; Holmgaard List, Nanna

2016-01-01

We study excited states of cholesterol in solution and show that, in this specific case, solute wave-function confinement is the main effect of the solvent. This is rationalized on the basis of the polarizable density embedding scheme, which in addition to polarizable embedding includes non-electrostatic...... repulsion that effectively confines the solute wave function to its cavity. We illustrate how the inclusion of non-electrostatic repulsion results in a successful identification of the intense π → π∗ transition, which was not possible using an embedding method that only includes electrostatics....... This underlines the importance of non-electrostatic repulsion in quantum-mechanical embedding-based methods....

Using squeeze-film effect to reduce surface friction in electrostatic actuators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zsurzsan, Tiberiu-Gabriel; Yamamoto, Akio; Zhang, Zhe

2015-01-01

This paper presents a method of reducing load friction in two degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) transparent electrostatic induction actuator by using vibration-induced squeeze film effect. An experimental set-up was built to prove the concept. An overall 70% reduction in required driving voltage...

Electrostatic capacitance and Faraday cage behavior of carbon nanotube forests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ya' akobovitz, A. [Mechanosynthesis Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva (Israel); Bedewy, M. [Mechanosynthesis Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States); Hart, A. J. [Mechanosynthesis Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering and Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

2015-02-02

Understanding of the electrostatic properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests is essential to enable their integration in microelectronic and micromechanical devices. In this study, we sought to understand how the hierarchical geometry and morphology of CNT forests determines their capacitance. First, we find that at small gaps, solid micropillars have greater capacitance, yet at larger gaps the capacitance of the CNT forests is greater. The surface area of the CNT forest accessible to the electrostatic field was extracted by analysis of the measured capacitance, and, by relating the capacitance to the average density of CNTs in the forest, we find that the penetration depth of the electrostatic field is on the order of several microns. Therefore, CNT forests can behave as a miniature Faraday cage. The unique electrostatic properties of CNT forests could therefore enable their use as long-range proximity sensors and as shielding elements for miniature electronic devices.

Electrostatic capacitance and Faraday cage behavior of carbon nanotube forests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ya'akobovitz, A.; Bedewy, M.; Hart, A. J.

2015-01-01

Understanding of the electrostatic properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests is essential to enable their integration in microelectronic and micromechanical devices. In this study, we sought to understand how the hierarchical geometry and morphology of CNT forests determines their capacitance. First, we find that at small gaps, solid micropillars have greater capacitance, yet at larger gaps the capacitance of the CNT forests is greater. The surface area of the CNT forest accessible to the electrostatic field was extracted by analysis of the measured capacitance, and, by relating the capacitance to the average density of CNTs in the forest, we find that the penetration depth of the electrostatic field is on the order of several microns. Therefore, CNT forests can behave as a miniature Faraday cage. The unique electrostatic properties of CNT forests could therefore enable their use as long-range proximity sensors and as shielding elements for miniature electronic devices

Electrostatic capacitance and Faraday cage behavior of carbon nanotube forests

Science.gov (United States)

Ya'akobovitz, A.; Bedewy, M.; Hart, A. J.

2015-02-01

Understanding of the electrostatic properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests is essential to enable their integration in microelectronic and micromechanical devices. In this study, we sought to understand how the hierarchical geometry and morphology of CNT forests determines their capacitance. First, we find that at small gaps, solid micropillars have greater capacitance, yet at larger gaps the capacitance of the CNT forests is greater. The surface area of the CNT forest accessible to the electrostatic field was extracted by analysis of the measured capacitance, and, by relating the capacitance to the average density of CNTs in the forest, we find that the penetration depth of the electrostatic field is on the order of several microns. Therefore, CNT forests can behave as a miniature Faraday cage. The unique electrostatic properties of CNT forests could therefore enable their use as long-range proximity sensors and as shielding elements for miniature electronic devices.

Multipolar electrostatics for proteins: atom-atom electrostatic energies in crambin.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yongna; Mills, Matthew J L; Popelier, Paul L A

2014-02-15

Accurate electrostatics necessitates the use of multipole moments centered on nuclei or extra point charges centered away from the nuclei. Here, we follow the former alternative and investigate the convergence behavior of atom-atom electrostatic interactions in the pilot protein crambin. Amino acids are cut out from a Protein Data Bank structure of crambin, as single amino acids, di, or tripeptides, and are then capped with a peptide bond at each side. The atoms in the amino acids are defined through Quantum Chemical Topology (QCT) as finite volume electron density fragments. Atom-atom electrostatic energies are computed by means of a multipole expansion with regular spherical harmonics, up to a total interaction rank of L = ℓA+ ℓB + 1 = 10. The minimum internuclear distance in the convergent region of all the 15 possible types of atom-atom interactions in crambin that were calculated based on single amino acids are close to the values calculated from di and tripeptides. Values obtained at B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ and MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ levels are only slightly larger than those calculated at HF/6-31G(d,p) level. This convergence behavior is transferable to the well-known amyloid beta polypeptide Aβ1-42. Moreover, for a selected central atom, the influence of its neighbors on its multipole moments is investigated, and how far away this influence can be ignored is also determined. Finally, the convergence behavior of AMBER becomes closer to that of QCT with increasing internuclear distance. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Proceedings of the symposium on chemistry and physics of surface of metals and their oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1976-01-01

Topics covered include: structure of crystalline surfaces; thermodynamic, electrostatic, and physicochemical considerations on defect structure and metal to metal interfaces; physical properties of metal surfaces; stress corrosion cracking; corrosion; passivation; mass transfer across interfaces; electrodeposition; Auger electron spectroscopy; electron microscopy; and catalysis. (GHT)

Electrostatic Power Generation from Negatively Charged, Simulated Lunar Regolith

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sang H.; King, Glen C.; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Park, Yeonjoon

2010-01-01

Research was conducted to develop an electrostatic power generator for future lunar missions that facilitate the utilization of lunar resources. The lunar surface is known to be negatively charged from the constant bombardment of electrons and protons from the solar wind. The resulting negative electrostatic charge on the dust particles, in the lunar vacuum, causes them to repel each other minimizing the potential. The result is a layer of suspended dust about one meter above the lunar surface. This phenomenon was observed by both Clementine and Surveyor spacecrafts. During the Apollo 17 lunar landing, the charged dust was a major hindrance, as it was attracted to the astronauts' spacesuits, equipment, and the lunar buggies. The dust accumulated on the spacesuits caused reduced visibility for the astronauts, and was unavoidably transported inside the spacecraft where it caused breathing irritation [1]. In the lunar vacuum, the maximum charge on the particles can be extremely high. An article in the journal "Nature", titled "Moon too static for astronauts?" (Feb 2, 2007) estimates that the lunar surface is charged with up to several thousand volts [2]. The electrostatic power generator was devised to alleviate the hazardous effects of negatively charged lunar soil by neutralizing the charged particles through capacitive coupling and thereby simultaneously harnessing power through electric charging [3]. The amount of power generated or collected is dependent on the areal coverage of the device and hovering speed over the lunar soil surface. A thin-film array of capacitors can be continuously charged and sequentially discharged using a time-differentiated trigger discharge process to produce a pulse train of discharge for DC mode output. By controlling the pulse interval, the DC mode power can be modulated for powering devices and equipment. In conjunction with a power storage system, the electrostatic power generator can be a power source for a lunar rover or other

Manufacture of electrostatic septum for extracting particle beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokumoto, Shuichi

1979-01-01

In the main ring of National Laboratory for High Energy Physics, fast and slow extractions of accelerated proton beam are carried out by using electrostatic septa. The electrostatic septum is an apparatus to deflect beam by an electrostatic field, basically composed of a couple of parallel plate electrodes installed in a vacuum chamber. The electrostatic septum is required to satisfy the following two conditions: it must be very thin and flat to reduce the loss of extracted beam, and sufficiently high electric field must be generated to deflect beam in a limited length. The structure and manufacture of electrostatic septa are described. The manufacturing is explained by dividing a septum into an anode and a cathode, terminals introducing high voltage, a vacuum chamber, and high voltage circuit. The performance is also described on the experiments for no-beam condition and beam extraction. Beam extraction has been carried out over 1500 hours thus far, the average beam intensity being 1 x 10 12 ppp, and extraction efficiency more than 90%. There have been no serious failure to affect the performance nor metal wire breakage. They have satisfied their purposes, being used for both fast and slow extractions. Presently, lengthening of the electrostatic field region is being planned to increase the length of the septa to 1.5 m per unit. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Dissecting the structure of surface stabilizer on the dispersion of inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Yong; Yu, Zongzhi; Zheng, Junping, E-mail: jpzheng@tju.edu.cn [Tianjin University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China)

2017-03-15

Dispersing inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions is a key requirement for a great variety of products and processes, including carriers in drug delivery or fillers in polymers. To be highly functional in the final product, inorganic particles are required to be finely dispersed in nanoscale. In this study, silica was selected as a representative inorganic particle. Surface stabilizers with different chain length and charged group were designed to reveal the influence of electrostatic and van der Waals forces between silica and stabilizer on the dispersion of silica particles in aqueous medium. Results showed surface stabilizer with longer alkyl chain and charged group exerted best ability to deaggregate silica, leading to a hydrodynamic size of 51.1 nm. Surface stabilizer designing with rational structure is a promising solution for deagglomerating and reducing process time and energy. Giving the designability and adaptability of surface stabilizer, this method is of potential for dispersion of other inorganic nanoparticles.

Dissecting the structure of surface stabilizer on the dispersion of inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yong; Yu, Zongzhi; Zheng, Junping

2017-03-01

Dispersing inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions is a key requirement for a great variety of products and processes, including carriers in drug delivery or fillers in polymers. To be highly functional in the final product, inorganic particles are required to be finely dispersed in nanoscale. In this study, silica was selected as a representative inorganic particle. Surface stabilizers with different chain length and charged group were designed to reveal the influence of electrostatic and van der Waals forces between silica and stabilizer on the dispersion of silica particles in aqueous medium. Results showed surface stabilizer with longer alkyl chain and charged group exerted best ability to deaggregate silica, leading to a hydrodynamic size of 51.1 nm. Surface stabilizer designing with rational structure is a promising solution for deagglomerating and reducing process time and energy. Giving the designability and adaptability of surface stabilizer, this method is of potential for dispersion of other inorganic nanoparticles.

Dynamic electrostatic force microscopy technique for the study of electrical properties with improved spatial resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maragliano, C; Heskes, D; Stefancich, M; Chiesa, M; Souier, T

2013-01-01

The need to resolve the electrical properties of confined structures (CNTs, quantum dots, nanorods, etc) is becoming increasingly important in the field of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here we propose an approach based on amplitude modulated electrostatic force microscopy to obtain measurements at small tip–sample distances, where highly nonlinear forces are present. We discuss how this improves the lateral resolution of the technique and allows probing of the electrical and surface properties. The complete force field at different tip biases is employed to derive the local work function difference. Then, by appropriately biasing the tip–sample system, short-range forces are reconstructed. The short-range component is then separated from the generic tip–sample force in order to recover the pure electrostatic contribution. This data can be employed to derive the tip–sample capacitance curve and the sample dielectric constant. After presenting a theoretical model that justifies the need for probing the electrical properties of the sample in the vicinity of the surface, the methodology is presented in detail and verified experimentally. (paper)

Effect of the Curved Spacetime on the Electrostatic Potential Energy Distribution of Strange Stars

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陈次星; 张家铝

2001-01-01

The effect of the strong gravitational field of the strange core of a strange star on its surface electrostatic potential energy distribution is discussed. We present the general-relativistic hydrodynamics equations of fluids in the presence of the electric fields and investigate the surface electrostatic potential distribution of the strange core of a strange star in hydrostatic equilibrium to correct Alcock and coworker's result [Astrophys. J. 310 (1986) 261]. Also, we discuss the temperature distribution of the bare strange star surface and give the related formulae, which may be useful if we are concerned further about the physical processes near the quark atter surfaces of strange stars.

A new electrostatic accelerator: the vivitron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-07-01

The 35 MV electrostatic accelerator described in the present document operates according to Van de Graaff tandem type accelerator principles. This new accelerator has appreciable advantages over the classical machines built up to today: 1) reduced radial dimensions, and in consequence, a lower overall cast for identical or even lower limiting electric field values; 2) a significantly reduced stored electrical energy distributed in a homogeneous and better controlled way over the interelectrode space; 3) the use of discrete electrodes rather than classical intermediate screens enabling the advantages of direct electrical vision between the vessel and the high-tension electrode (voltage measurements and regulation by the Corona effect) to be retained. The reduced surface area of these electrodes improving both their characteristics when a voltage is applied and the mechanical behavior of the system; 4) a ''light'' internal structure enabling a horizontal machine to be envisaged [fr

Electronic Structures of LNA Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrik G. Bohr

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Important oligonucleotides in anti-sense research have been investigated in silico and experimentally. This involves quantum mechanical (QM calculations and chromatography experiments on locked nucleic acid (LNA phosphorothioate (PS oligonucleotides. iso-potential electrostatic surfaces are essential in this study and have been calculated from the wave functions derived from the QM calculations that provide binding information and other properties of these molecules. The QM calculations give details of the electronic structures in terms of e.g., energy and bonding, which make them distinguish or differentiate between the individual PS diastereoisomers determined by the position of sulfur atoms. Rules are derived from the electronic calculations of these molecules and include the effects of the phosphorothioate chirality and formation of electrostatic potential surfaces. Physical and electrochemical descriptors of the PS oligonucleotides are compared to the experiments in which chiral states on these molecules can be distinguished. The calculations demonstrate that electronic structure, electrostatic potential, and topology are highly sensitive to single PS configuration changes and can give a lead to understanding the activity of the molecules. Keywords: LNA phosphorothioate, DNA/LNA oligonucleotide, diastereoisomers, Hartree-Fock calculations, iso-potential surface, anion chromatograms

Percolation via Combined Electrostatic and Chemical Doping in Complex Oxide Films

Science.gov (United States)

Orth, Peter P.; Fernandes, Rafael M.; Walter, Jeff; Leighton, C.; Shklovskii, B. I.

2017-03-01

Stimulated by experimental advances in electrolyte gating methods, we investigate theoretically percolation in thin films of inhomogeneous complex oxides, such as La1 -xSrxCoO3 (LSCO), induced by a combination of bulk chemical and surface electrostatic doping. Using numerical and analytical methods, we identify two mechanisms that describe how bulk dopants reduce the amount of electrostatic surface charge required to reach percolation: (i) bulk-assisted surface percolation and (ii) surface-assisted bulk percolation. We show that the critical surface charge strongly depends on the film thickness when the film is close to the chemical percolation threshold. In particular, thin films can be driven across the percolation transition by modest surface charge densities. If percolation is associated with the onset of ferromagnetism, as in LSCO, we further demonstrate that the presence of critical magnetic clusters extending from the film surface into the bulk results in considerable enhancement of the saturation magnetization, with pronounced experimental consequences. These results should significantly guide experimental work seeking to verify gate-induced percolation transitions in such materials.

Large electrostatic accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, C.M.

1984-01-01

The increasing importance of energetic heavy ion beams in the study of atomic physics, nuclear physics, and materials science has partially or wholly motivated the construction of a new generation of large electrostatic accelerators designed to operate at terminal potentials of 20 MV or above. In this paper, the author briefly discusses the status of these new accelerators and also discusses several recent technological advances which may be expected to further improve their performance. The paper is divided into four parts: (1) a discussion of the motivation for the construction of large electrostatic accelerators, (2) a description and discussion of several large electrostatic accelerators which have been recently completed or are under construction, (3) a description of several recent innovations which may be expected to improve the performance of large electrostatic accelerators in the future, and (4) a description of an innovative new large electrostatic accelerator whose construction is scheduled to begin next year. Due to time and space constraints, discussion is restricted to consideration of only tandem accelerators.

Large electrostatic accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, C.M.

1984-01-01

The increasing importance of energetic heavy ion beams in the study of atomic physics, nuclear physics, and materials science has partially or wholly motivated the construction of a new generation of large electrostatic accelerators designed to operate at terminal potentials of 20 MV or above. In this paper, the author briefly discusses the status of these new accelerators and also discusses several recent technological advances which may be expected to further improve their performance. The paper is divided into four parts: (1) a discussion of the motivation for the construction of large electrostatic accelerators, (2) a description and discussion of several large electrostatic accelerators which have been recently completed or are under construction, (3) a description of several recent innovations which may be expected to improve the performance of large electrostatic accelerators in the future, and (4) a description of an innovative new large electrostatic accelerator whose construction is scheduled to begin next year. Due to time and space constraints, discussion is restricted to consideration of only tandem accelerators

Resonant frequency analysis on an electrostatically actuated microplate under uniform hydrostatic pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhikang; Zhao Libo; Ye Zhiying; Zhao Yulong; Jiang Zhuangde; Wang Hongyan

2013-01-01

The resonant frequency of a microplate is influenced by various physical parameters such as mass, surface stress, hydrostatic pressure and electrostatic force. In this paper, the effects of both electrostatic force and uniform hydrostatic pressure on the resonant frequency of a clamped circular microplate are investigated. An approximate solution is derived for the fundamental resonance frequency of the mciroplate under both types of loads using an energy equivalent method. It is found that both electrostatic force and uniform hydrostatic pressure decrease the resonant frequency of the microplate under small deflections. Additionally, the linearized expression of this solution shows that the resonant frequency varies linearly with pressure in the low and ultra-low range, and the corresponding pressure sensitivity depends on the voltage applied to the microplate. The analytical results are well validated by the finite element method. This study may be helpful for the design and optimization of electrostatically actuated resonance devices based on microplates, especially electrostatically actuated low- or ultra-low-pressure sensors. (paper)

Electrostatic correlations in inhomogeneous charged fluids beyond loop expansion.

Science.gov (United States)

Buyukdagli, Sahin; Achim, C V; Ala-Nissila, T

2012-09-14

Electrostatic correlation effects in inhomogeneous symmetric electrolytes are investigated within a previously developed electrostatic self-consistent theory [R. R. Netz and H. Orland, Eur. Phys. J. E 11, 301 (2003)]. To this aim, we introduce two computational approaches that allow to solve the self-consistent equations beyond the loop expansion. The first method is based on a perturbative Green's function technique, and the second one is an extension of a previously introduced semiclassical approximation for single dielectric interfaces to the case of slit nanopores. Both approaches can handle the case of dielectrically discontinuous boundaries where the one-loop theory is known to fail. By comparing the theoretical results obtained from these schemes with the results of the Monte Carlo simulations that we ran for ions at neutral single dielectric interfaces, we first show that the weak coupling Debye-Huckel theory remains quantitatively accurate up to the bulk ion density ρ(b) ≃ 0.01 M, whereas the self-consistent theory exhibits a good quantitative accuracy up to ρ(b) ≃ 0.2 M, thus improving the accuracy of the Debye-Huckel theory by one order of magnitude in ionic strength. Furthermore, we compare the predictions of the self-consistent theory with previous Monte Carlo simulation data for charged dielectric interfaces and show that the proposed approaches can also accurately handle the correlation effects induced by the surface charge in a parameter regime where the mean-field result significantly deviates from the Monte Carlo data. Then, we derive from the perturbative self-consistent scheme the one-loop theory of asymmetrically partitioned salt systems around a dielectrically homogeneous charged surface. It is shown that correlation effects originate in these systems from a competition between the salt screening loss at the interface driving the ions to the bulk region, and the interfacial counterion screening excess attracting them towards the surface

Electrostatic correlations in inhomogeneous charged fluids beyond loop expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Buyukdagli, Sahin; Achim, C. V.; Ala-Nissila, T.

2012-09-01

Electrostatic correlation effects in inhomogeneous symmetric electrolytes are investigated within a previously developed electrostatic self-consistent theory [R. R. Netz and H. Orland, Eur. Phys. J. E 11, 301 (2003)], 10.1140/epje/i2002-10159-0. To this aim, we introduce two computational approaches that allow to solve the self-consistent equations beyond the loop expansion. The first method is based on a perturbative Green's function technique, and the second one is an extension of a previously introduced semiclassical approximation for single dielectric interfaces to the case of slit nanopores. Both approaches can handle the case of dielectrically discontinuous boundaries where the one-loop theory is known to fail. By comparing the theoretical results obtained from these schemes with the results of the Monte Carlo simulations that we ran for ions at neutral single dielectric interfaces, we first show that the weak coupling Debye-Huckel theory remains quantitatively accurate up to the bulk ion density ρb ≃ 0.01 M, whereas the self-consistent theory exhibits a good quantitative accuracy up to ρb ≃ 0.2 M, thus improving the accuracy of the Debye-Huckel theory by one order of magnitude in ionic strength. Furthermore, we compare the predictions of the self-consistent theory with previous Monte Carlo simulation data for charged dielectric interfaces and show that the proposed approaches can also accurately handle the correlation effects induced by the surface charge in a parameter regime where the mean-field result significantly deviates from the Monte Carlo data. Then, we derive from the perturbative self-consistent scheme the one-loop theory of asymmetrically partitioned salt systems around a dielectrically homogeneous charged surface. It is shown that correlation effects originate in these systems from a competition between the salt screening loss at the interface driving the ions to the bulk region, and the interfacial counterion screening excess attracting

Electrostatically actuated torsional resonant sensors and switches

KAUST Repository

Younis, Mohammad I.

2016-01-01

Embodiments in accordance of a torsional resonant sensor disclosure is configured to actuate a beam structure using electrostatic actuation with an AC harmonic load (e.g., AC and DC voltage sources) that is activated upon detecting a particular

Supramolecular Langmuir monolayers and multilayered vesicles of self-assembling DNA–lipid surface structures and their further implications in polyelectrolyte-based cell transfections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demirsoy, Fatma Funda Kaya [Ankara University, The Central Laboratory of The Institute of Biotechnology (Turkey); Eruygur, Nuraniye [Gazi University, Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy (Turkey); Süleymanoğlu, Erhan, E-mail: erhans@mail.ru [Gazi University, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy (Turkey)

2015-01-15

The basic interfacial characteristics of DNA–lipid recognitions have been studied. The complex structures of individual unbound DNA molecules and their binary and ternary complexes with zwitterionic lipids and divalent cations were followed by employing lipid monolayers at the air–liquid interfaces, as well as by performing various microscopic, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic measurements with multilayered vesicles. The pressure-area isotherms depicted that Mg{sup 2+}-ions increase the surface pressure of lipid films and thus give rise to electrostatic and hydrophobic lipid–DNA interactions in terms of DNA adsorption, adhesion, and compaction. These features were further approached by using multilamellar vesicles with a mean diameter of 850 nm, where a metal ion-directed nucleic acid compaction and condensation effects were shown. The data obtained show the effectiveness of Langmuir monolayers and lipid multilayers in studying nucleic acid–lipid recognitions. The data provide with further details and support previous reports on mainly structural features of these recognitions. Biomolecular surface recognition events were presented in direct link with spectral and thermodynamic features of lipid vesicle–polynucleotide complex formations. The results serve to build a theoretical model considering the use of neutral lipids in lipoplex designs as a polyelectrolyte alternatives to the currently employed cytotoxic cationic liposomes. The supramolecular structures formed and their possible roles in interfacial electrostatic and hydrophobic mechanisms of endosomal escape in relevant cell transfection assays are particularly emphasized.

Supramolecular Langmuir monolayers and multilayered vesicles of self-assembling DNA–lipid surface structures and their further implications in polyelectrolyte-based cell transfections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demirsoy, Fatma Funda Kaya; Eruygur, Nuraniye; Süleymanoğlu, Erhan

2015-01-01

The basic interfacial characteristics of DNA–lipid recognitions have been studied. The complex structures of individual unbound DNA molecules and their binary and ternary complexes with zwitterionic lipids and divalent cations were followed by employing lipid monolayers at the air–liquid interfaces, as well as by performing various microscopic, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic measurements with multilayered vesicles. The pressure-area isotherms depicted that Mg 2+ -ions increase the surface pressure of lipid films and thus give rise to electrostatic and hydrophobic lipid–DNA interactions in terms of DNA adsorption, adhesion, and compaction. These features were further approached by using multilamellar vesicles with a mean diameter of 850 nm, where a metal ion-directed nucleic acid compaction and condensation effects were shown. The data obtained show the effectiveness of Langmuir monolayers and lipid multilayers in studying nucleic acid–lipid recognitions. The data provide with further details and support previous reports on mainly structural features of these recognitions. Biomolecular surface recognition events were presented in direct link with spectral and thermodynamic features of lipid vesicle–polynucleotide complex formations. The results serve to build a theoretical model considering the use of neutral lipids in lipoplex designs as a polyelectrolyte alternatives to the currently employed cytotoxic cationic liposomes. The supramolecular structures formed and their possible roles in interfacial electrostatic and hydrophobic mechanisms of endosomal escape in relevant cell transfection assays are particularly emphasized

Electrostatically actuated torsional resonant sensors and switches

KAUST Repository

Younis, Mohammad I.

2016-12-29

Embodiments in accordance of a torsional resonant sensor disclosure is configured to actuate a beam structure using electrostatic actuation with an AC harmonic load (e.g., AC and DC voltage sources) that is activated upon detecting a particular agent having a mass above a predefined level. In various embodiments, the beam structure may be different types of resonant structures that is at least partially coated or layered with a selective material.

Magnetosheath electrostatic turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, P.

1979-01-01

By using measurements with the University of Iowa plasma wave experiment on the Imp 6 satellite a study has been conducted of the spectrum of electrostatic plasma waves in the terrestrial magnetosheath. Electrostatic plasma wave turbulence is almost continuously present throughout the magnetosheath with broadband (20 Hz to 70 kHz) rms field intensities typically 0.01--1.0 mV m -1 . Peak intensities of about 1.0 mV m -1 near the electron plasma frequency (30--60 kHz) have been detected occasionally. Two or three components can usually be identified in the spectrum of magnetosheath electrostatic turbulence: a high-frequency (> or =30kHz) component peaking at the electron plasma frequency f/sub p/e, a low-frequency component with a broad intensity maximum below the nominal ion plasma frequency f/sub p/i (approx. f/sub p/e/43), and a less well defined intermediate component in the range f/sub p/i < f< f/sub p/e. The intensity distribution of magnetosheath electrostatic turbulence clearly shows that the low-frequency component is associated with the bow shock, suggesting that the ion heating begun at the shock continues into the downstream magnetosheath. Electrostatic waves below 1 kHz are polarized along the magnetic field direction, a result consistent with the polarization of electrostatic waves at the shock. The high- and intermediate-frequency components are features of the magnetosheath spectrum which are not characteristic of the shock spectrum but are often detected in the upstream solar wind. The intensity distribution of electrostatic turbulence at the magnetosheath plasma frequency has no apparent correlation with the shock, indicating that electron plasma oscillations are a general feature of the magnetosheath. The plasma wave noise shows a tendency to decrease toward the dawn and dusk regions, consistent with a general decrease in turbulence away from the subsolar magnetosheath

An electrostatic lower stator axial gap wobble motor: design and fabrication

OpenAIRE

Legtenberg, R.; Legtenberg, Rob; Berenschot, Johan W.; van Baar, J.J.J.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

1995-01-01

The fabrication, initial modelling and first results of an electrostatic lower stator axial gap wobble motor are presented. The four mask fabrication process is based on polysilicon surface micromachining techniques. Three to twelve stator pole wobble motor designs have been realized with rotor radii of 50 and 100 micrometer. A theoretical model predicts torque generations in the nNm range at high electrostatic fields. Motors have typically been operated between 10 and 20 Volts. Initial exper...

Surface decoration through electrostatic interaction leading to enhanced reactivity: Low temperature synthesis of nanostructured chromium borides (CrB and CrB2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menaka,; Kumar, Bharat; Kumar, Sandeep; Ganguli, A.K.

2013-01-01

The present study describes a novel low temperature route at ambient pressure for the synthesis of nanocrystalline chromium borides (CrB and CrB 2 ) without using any flux or additives. The favorable and intimate mixing of nanoparticles of chromium acetate (Cr source) and boron forms an active chromium–boron precursor which decomposes at much lower temperature (400 °C) to form CrB (which is ∼1000 °C less than the known ambient pressure synthesis). The chromium acetate nanoparticles (∼5 nm) decorate the larger boron particles (150–200 nm) due to electrostatic interactions resulting from opposing surface charges of boron (zeta potential:+48.101 mV) and chromium acetate (zeta potential:−4.021 mV) in ethanolic medium and is evident in the TEM micrographs. The above method leads to the formation of pure CrB film like structure at 400 °C and nanospheres (40–60 nm) at 600 °C. Also, chromium diboride (CrB 2 ) nanoparticles (25 nm) could be obtained at 1000 °C. - Graphical abstract: Variation of surface charge of reactants, precursor and the products, chromium borides (CrB and CrB 2 ). Highlights: ► Novel borothermal reduction process for synthesis of chromium boride. ► Significant lowering of reaction temperature to obtain nanocrystalline chromium boride. ► Enhanced reactivity due to appropriate surface interactions

Electrostatic interactions in aqueous solutions of polyelectrolyte

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belloni, Luc

1982-01-01

In this study, the structure, equilibrium and transport properties of poly-electrolytes solutions are reported. These dissymmetric systems are studied in the context of a primitive model (Charged hard spheres and rods in a solvent continuum). The first phenomenon studied is the strong electrostatic attractive interaction of counterions on the poly-ion surface. The model used considers the poly-ions on a matrix and the different concentrations are calculated using the P.B. equation. Auto-diffusion coefficients obtained give a good description of experimental slowing down of the counterions. The model allows a correlation between the theoretical limits represented by Bjerrum's and Manning's models and gives a physical significance to the concept of condensation. In the second part, the complete structure is calculated using only slightly restrictive H.N.C. approximation. This theory enables all the pair correlation functions to be calculated as well as thermodynamic data and structure factors. The last part of this study treats transport phenomena. Quasi-elastic light scattering gives information on the autocorrelation function of the scattered light intensity. Analysis using cumulants leads to an effective diffusion coefficient which is theoretically related to the structure factor and the hydrodynamic interactions. A crude approximation of the last contribution allows to fit the experimental data. (author) [fr

GroPBS: Fast Solver for Implicit Electrostatics of Biomolecules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franziska eBertelshofer

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Knowledge about the electrostatic potential on the surface of biomolecules or biomembranes under physiological conditions is an important step in the attempt to characterize the physico-chemical properties of these molecules and in particular also their interactions with each other. Additionally, knowledge about solution electrostatics may guide also the design of molecules with specified properties. However, explicit water models come at a high computational cost, rendering them unsuitable for large design studies or for docking purposes. Implicit models with the water phase treated as a continuum require the numerical solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann Equation (PBE. Here, we present a new flexible program for the numerical solution of the PBE, allowing for different geometries, and the explicit and implicit inclusion of membranes. It involves a discretization of space and the computation of the molecular surface. The PBE is solved using finite differences, the resulting set of equations is solved using a Gauss-Seidel method. It is shown for the example of the sucrose transporter ScrY that the implicit inclusion of a surrounding membrane has a strong effect also on the electrostatics within the pore region and thus need to be carefully considered e.g. in design studies on membrane proteins.

Modeling the Electrostatics of Hollow Shell Suspensions: Ion Distribution, Pair Interactions, and Many-Body Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallez, Yannick; Meireles, Martine

2016-10-11

Electrostatic interactions play a key role in hollow shell suspensions as they determine their structure, stability, thermodynamics, and rheology and also the loading capacity of small charged species for nanoreservoir applications. In this work, fast, reliable modeling strategies aimed at predicting the electrostatics of hollow shells for one, two, and many colloids are proposed and validated. The electrostatic potential inside and outside a hollow shell with a finite thickness and a specific permittivity is determined analytically in the Debye-Hückel (DH) limit. An expression for the interaction potential between two such hollow shells is then derived and validated numerically. It follows a classical Yukawa form with an effective charge depending on the shell geometry, permittivity, and inner and outer surface charge densities. The predictions of the Ornstein-Zernike (OZ) equation with this pair potential to determine equations of state are then evaluated by comparison to results obtained with a Brownian dynamics algorithm coupled to the resolution of the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann and Laplace equations (PB-BD simulations). The OZ equation based on the DLVO-like potential performs very well in the dilute regime as expected, but also quite well, and more surprisingly, in the concentrated regime in which full spheres exhibit significant many-body effects. These effects are shown to vanish for shells with small thickness and high permittivity. For highly charged hollow shells, we propose and validate a charge renormalization procedure. Finally, using PB-BD simulations, we show that the cell model predicts the ion distribution inside and outside hollow shells accurately in both electrostatically dilute and concentrated suspensions. We then determine the shell loading capacity as a function of salt concentration, volume fraction, and surface charge density for nanoreservoir applications such as drug delivery, sensing, or smart coatings.

Electrostatics in Chemistry

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 4; Issue 7. Electrostatics in Chemistry - Molecular Electrostatic Potential: Visualization and Topography. Shridhar R Gadre Pravin K Bhadane. Series Article Volume 4 Issue 7 July 1999 pp 14-23 ...

Wall Climbing Robot Using Electrostatic Adhesion Force Generated by Flexible Interdigital Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rong Liu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Electrostatic adhesion technology has broad application prospects on wall climbing robots because of its unique characteristics compared with other types of adhesion technologies. A double tracked wall climbing robot based on electrostatic adhesion technology is presented including electrode panel design, mechanical structure design, power supply system design and control system design. A theoretical adhesion model was established and the electrostatic potential and field were expressed by series expansions in terms of solutions of the Laplace function. Based on this model, the electrostatic adhesion force was calculated using the Maxwell stress tensor formulation. Several important factors which may influence the electrostatic adhesion force were analysed and discussed by both FEM simulation and theoretical calculation. In addition, experiments on the adhesion performance of the electrode panel and the climbing performance of the robot on various wall materials were carried out. Both the simulation and experiment results verify the feasibility of electrostatic adhesion technology being applied on wall climbing robots. The theoretical model and calculation method for the electrostatic adhesion force proposed in this paper are also justified.

Improving energy conversion efficiency for triboelectric nanogenerator with capacitor structure by maximizing surface charge density.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xianming; Guo, Hengyu; Yue, Xule; Gao, Jun; Xi, Yi; Hu, Chenguo

2015-02-07

Nanogenerators with capacitor structures based on piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, triboelectricity and electrostatic induction have been extensively investigated. Although the electron flow on electrodes is well understood, the maximum efficiency-dependent structure design is not clearly known. In this paper, a clear understanding of triboelectric generators with capacitor structures is presented by the investigation of polydimethylsiloxane-based composite film nanogenerators, indicating that the generator, in fact, acts as both an energy storage and output device. Maximum energy storage and output depend on the maximum charge density on the dielectric polymer surface, which is determined by the capacitance of the device. The effective thickness of polydimethylsiloxane can be greatly reduced by mixing a suitable amount of conductive nanoparticles into the polymer, through which the charge density on the polymer surface can be greatly increased. This finding can be applied to all the triboelectric nanogenerators with capacitor structures, and it provides an important guide to the structural design for nanogenerators. It is demonstrated that graphite particles with sizes of 20-40 nm and 3.0% mass mixed into the polydimethylsiloxane can reduce 34.68% of the effective thickness of the dielectric film and increase the surface charges by 111.27% on the dielectric film. The output power density of the triboelectric nanogenerator with the composite polydimethylsiloxane film is 3.7 W m(-2), which is 2.6 times as much as that of the pure polydimethylsiloxane film.

Digital electrostatic acoustic transducer array

KAUST Repository

Carreno, Armando Arpys Arevalo

2016-12-19

In this paper we present the fabrication and characterization of an array of electrostatic acoustic transducers. The array is micromachined on a silicon wafer using standard micro-machining techniques. Each array contains 2n electrostatic transducer membranes, where “n” is the bit number. Every element of the array has a hexagonal membrane shape structure, which is separated from the substrate by 3µm air gap. The membrane is made out 5µm thick polyimide layer that has a bottom gold electrode on the substrate and a gold top electrode on top of the membrane (250nm). The wafer layout design was diced in nine chips with different array configurations, with variation of the membrane dimensions. The device was tested with 90 V giving and sound output level as high as 35dB, while actuating all the elements at the same time.

Digital electrostatic acoustic transducer array

KAUST Repository

Carreno, Armando Arpys Arevalo; Castro, David; Conchouso Gonzalez, David; Kosel, Jü rgen; Foulds, Ian G.

2016-01-01

In this paper we present the fabrication and characterization of an array of electrostatic acoustic transducers. The array is micromachined on a silicon wafer using standard micro-machining techniques. Each array contains 2n electrostatic transducer membranes, where “n” is the bit number. Every element of the array has a hexagonal membrane shape structure, which is separated from the substrate by 3µm air gap. The membrane is made out 5µm thick polyimide layer that has a bottom gold electrode on the substrate and a gold top electrode on top of the membrane (250nm). The wafer layout design was diced in nine chips with different array configurations, with variation of the membrane dimensions. The device was tested with 90 V giving and sound output level as high as 35dB, while actuating all the elements at the same time.

Atomic processes in Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nebel, R.A.; Turner, L.; Tiouririne, T.N.; Barnes, D.C.; Nystrom, W.D.; Bussard, R.W.; Miley, G.H.; Javedani, J.; Yamamoto, Y.

1993-01-01

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) is one of the earliest plasma confinement concepts, having first been suggested by P. T. Farnsworth in the 1950s. The concept involves a simple apparatus of concentric spherical electrostatic grids or a combination of grids and magnetic fields. An electrostatic structure is formed from the confluence of electron or ion beams. Gridded IEC systems have demonstrated neutron yields as high as 2*10 10 neutrons/sec. These systems have considerable potential as small, inexpensive, portable neutron sources for assaying applications. Neutron tomography is also a potential application. Atomic physics effects strongly influence the performance of all of these systems. Important atomic effects include elastic scattering, ionization, excitation, and charge exchange. This paper discusses how an IEC system is influenced by these effects and how to design around them. Theoretical modeling and experimental results are presented

A New Approach for Studying Bond Rupture/Closure of a Spiro Benzopyran Photochromic Material: Reactivity Descriptors Derived from Frontier Orbitals and DFT Computed Electrostatic Potential Energy Surface Maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. S. A. Abdel-Mottaleb

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on computations technique within the framework of the TD-DFT theory for studying the relationship between structure-properties of reversible conversion of photochromic materials. Specifically, we report on 1′,3′-dihydro-8-methoxy-1′,3′,3′-trimethyl-6-nitrospiro[2H-1-benzopyran-2,2′-(2H-indole] (SP and its isomers. TD-DFT calculated UV-Vis electronic spectra of the closed and open isomers of this photochromic material are in excellent agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, this paper reports on the results of theoretical investigations of reactivity indices that may govern the conversion between spiropyrans and its isomers. In addition, the solvent and rigidity of the medium significantly control the thermal bleaching of the photogenerated colored isomers and hence the switch ability pattern of the photochromic material. The effect of molecular structure computed by DFT in gas-phase and solvents on Cspiro-O bond length has been shown to correlate with photochromic properties. For this compound, DFT optimized geometry could be used to predict photochromism. Furthermore, in an attempt to predict the driving force for MC → SP, this work explores, for the first time, profitable exploitation of the calculated and visualized mapped electrostatic potential energy surfaces (ESP map. Interestingly, it seems that the electrostatic potential forces over the molecular fragments govern spirobond rupture/closure reactions. Thermodynamically, all-trans-colored isomer (CTT is the most stable merocyanine-like form.

Using an electrostatic accelerator to determine the stereochemical structures of molecular ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gemmell, D.S.

1980-01-01

Recent high-resolution measurements on the energy and angle distributions of the fragments produced when fast (MeV) molecular-ion beams from an electrostatic accelerator dissociate (Coulomb explode) in thin foils and in gases, offer promising possibilities for deducing the stereochemical structures of the molecular ions constituting the incident beams. Bond lengths have been determined in this way for several diatomic projectiles (H 2 + , HeH + , CH + , NH + , OH + , N 2 + , O 2 + , etc.) with an accuracy of approx. 0.01 A. H 3 + has been demonstrated (for the first time) to be equilateral triangular and the interproton distance measured. Measurements on single fragments from CO 2 + , N 2 O + , C 3 H 3 + , and CH/sub n/ + have revealed the gross structures of the projectiles. An apparatus has recently been constructed at Argonne to permit precise measurements on fragments in coincidence. The apparatus has been tested on a known structure (OH 2 + ). The O-H bond length was found to be 1.0 +- 0.04 A and the H-O-H bond angle was measured as 110 +- 2 0 . These values are in excellent agreement with those found in optical experiments (0.999 A and 110.5 0 ). This Coulomb explosion technique can be expected to be refined in accuracy and to be extended to a wide range of molecular ions whose structures are inaccessible by other means

Electrostatics of spherical metallic particles in cylinder electrostatic separators/sizers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Hongzhou; Li Jia; Guo Jie; Xu Zhenming

2006-01-01

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the dynamics of spherical metallic particles in electrostatic separators/sizers (ESSs). A computational algorithm is employed to depict the cylinder-type electrode arrangements applied in some electrostatic processes generating non-uniform electric fields. The ESS consists of a pair of conducting cylinders. The upper cylinder is energized by HVdc, while the lower one is grounded and mounted horizontally on a revolvable axis. The aim of this paper is to present a new electrode configuration and demonstrate the usefulness of numerical techniques for the evaluation of the particle's motion. A computer program was employed for analysing the behavior of spherical particles in a two-dimensional electrode arrangement that models the actual electric field configuration of cylinder-type electrostatic separators/sizers. The analysis is needed for the development of any new application of this cylinder-type electrode arrangement as an electrostatic separation method. The results reveal that the particle's motion depends on its radius and density and amplitude of the applied voltage. The actual granular mixtures with different specific mass and radius could be separated applying this cylinder-type electrostatic separation method; the lift voltage is an important parameter for separation. With a program for two-dimensional analysis of the electric field, the computational procedure presented in this paper could be employed for any particle shapes

Field observations of the electrostatic charges of blowing snow in Hokkaido, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Omiya, S.; Sato, A.

2011-12-01

An electrostatic charge of blowing snow may be a contributing factor in the formation of a snow drift and a snow cornice, and changing of the trajectory of own motion. However, detailed electrification characteristics of blowing snow are not known as there are few reports of charge measurements. We carried out field observations of the electrostatic charges of blowing snow in Tobetsu, Hokkaido, Japan in the mid winter of 2011. An anemovane and a thermohygrometer were used for the meteorological observation. Charge-to-mass ratios of blowing snow were obtained by a Faraday-cage, an electrometer and an electric balance. In this observation period, the air temperature during the blowing snow event was -6.5 to -0.5 degree Celsius. The measured charges in this observation were consistent with the previous studies in sign, which is negative, but they were smaller than the previous one. In most cases, the measured values increased with the temperature decrease, which corresponds with previous studies. However, some results contradicted the tendency, and the maximum value was obtained on the day of the highest air temperature of -0.5 degree Celsius. This discrepancy may be explained from the difference of the snow surface condition on observation day. The day when the maximum value was obtained, the snow surface was covered with old snow, and hard. On the other hand, in many other cases, the snow surface was covered with the fresh snow, and soft. Blowing snow particles on the hard surface can travel longer distance than on the soft one. Therefore, it can be surmised that the hard surface makes the blowing snow particles accumulate a lot of negative charges due to a large number of collisions to the surface. This can be supported by the results of the wind tunnel experiments by Omiya and Sato (2011). By this field observation, it was newly suggested that the electrostatic charge of blowing snow are influenced greatly by the difference of the snow surface condition. REFERENCE

Electrostatic Properties of Particles for Inhalation

OpenAIRE

Rowland, Martin

2015-01-01

Dry powder inhalers (DPIs) and pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) aredevices used to deliver therapeutic agents to the lungs. Typically, inhaled activepharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are electrically resistive materials and are prone toaccumulating electrostatic charge. The build-up of charge on inhaled therapeutics hastraditionally been viewed as a nuisance as it may result in problems such as weighingerrors, agglomeration, adhesion to surfaces and poor flow. Energetic processing st...

Optimization of the electrostatic structure of the ion microprobe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. G. Ignat'ev

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The paper presents optimization data obtained for an immersion probe-forming system of the ion microprobe to be used in 3 MeV H+ ion accelerator generating 0,4 μm beam spot for normalized acceptance of 7 μm2 · mrad2 · MeV. To achieve higher microprobe resolution it is intended to place an electrostatic lens between the collimators and the accelerating tube.

Membrane Protein Properties Revealed through Data-Rich Electrostatics Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcoline, Frank V; Bethel, Neville; Guerriero, Christopher J; Brodsky, Jeffrey L; Grabe, Michael

2015-08-04

The electrostatic properties of membrane proteins often reveal many of their key biophysical characteristics, such as ion channel selectivity and the stability of charged membrane-spanning segments. The Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation is the gold standard for calculating protein electrostatics, and the software APBSmem enables the solution of the PB equation in the presence of a membrane. Here, we describe significant advances to APBSmem, including full automation of system setup, per-residue energy decomposition, incorporation of PDB2PQR, calculation of membrane-induced pKa shifts, calculation of non-polar energies, and command-line scripting for large-scale calculations. We highlight these new features with calculations carried out on a number of membrane proteins, including the recently solved structure of the ion channel TRPV1 and a large survey of 1,614 membrane proteins of known structure. This survey provides a comprehensive list of residues with large electrostatic penalties for being embedded in the membrane, potentially revealing interesting functional information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrostatic septum, SPS

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1978-01-01

To minimize losses during slow extraction towards N- and W-Area, electrostatic septa in long straight sections 2 and 6 precede the magnetic septa. This picture shows such an electrostatic septum in its tank. See 7501120X, 7501199 and 7501201 for more detailed pictures.

DNA immobilization on polymer-modified Si surface by controlling pH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demirel, Goekcen Birlik; Caykara, Tuncer

2009-01-01

A novel approach based on polymer-modified Si surface as DNA sensor platforms is presented. The polymer-modified Si surface was prepared by using 3-(methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane [γ-MPS] and poly(acrylamide) [PAAm]. Firstly, a layer of γ-MPS was formed on the hydroxylated silicon surface as a monolayer and then modified with different molecular weight of PAAm to form polymer-modified surface. The polymer-modified Si surface was used for dsDNA immobilization. All steps about formation of layer structure were characterized by ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR), and contact angle (CA) measurements. We found that in this case the amount of dsDNA immobilized onto the surface was dictated by the electrostatic interaction between the substrate surface and the DNA. Our results thus demonstrated that DNA molecules could be immobilized differently onto the polymer-modified support surface via electrostatic interactions.

Collisionless electrostatic shocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, H.K.; Andersen, S.A.; Jensen, Vagn Orla

1970-01-01

An attempt was made in the laboratory to observe the standing collisionless electrostatic shocks in connection with the bow shock of the earth......An attempt was made in the laboratory to observe the standing collisionless electrostatic shocks in connection with the bow shock of the earth...

Electrostatic potential of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 and rhesus macaque simian immunodeficiency virus capsid proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna eBozek

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus isolated from a macaque monkey (SIVmac are assumed to have originated from simian immunodeficiency virus isolated from sooty mangabey (SIVsm. Despite their close similarity in genome structure, HIV-2 and SIVmac show different sensitivities to TRIM5α, a host restriction factor against retroviruses. The replication of HIV-2 strains is potently restricted by rhesus (Rh monkey TRIM5α, while that of SIVmac strain 239 (SIVmac239 is not. Viral capsid protein is the determinant of this differential sensitivity to TRIM5α, as the HIV-2 mutant carrying SIVmac239 capsid protein evaded Rh TRIM5α-mediated restriction. However, the molecular determinants of this restriction mechanism are unknown. Electrostatic potential on the protein-binding site is one of the properties regulating protein-protein interactions. In this study, we investigated the electrostatic potential on the interaction surface of capsid protein of HIV-2 strain GH123 and SIVmac239. Although HIV-2 GH123 and SIVmac239 capsid proteins share more than 87% amino acid identity, we observed a large difference between the two molecules with the HIV-2 GH123 molecule having predominantly positive and SIVmac239 predominantly negative electrostatic potential on the surface of the loop between α-helices 4 and 5 (L4/5. As L4/5 is one of the major determinants of Rh TRIM5α sensitivity of these viruses, the present results suggest that the binding site of the Rh TRIM5α may show complementarity to the HIV-2 GH123 capsid surface charge distribution.

Characterization of the Electrostatic Environment of Launchers

Science.gov (United States)

Soyah, Jamila; Mantion, Pascal; Herlem, Yannick

2016-05-01

The purpose of this study was to update knowledge in characterization of the electrostatic environment of launchers in order to be able to propose reductions of design constraints.The first part of this study showed that flashover discharges are the most energetic discharges likely to occur on a launcher. They are mostly due to accumulations of charges by triboelectricity on the external surface of the launcher while flying through clouds containing a lot of small solid particles.Actually flashover discharges are mitigated by limiting the surface's resistance of dielectric materials such as thermal protection set on the external skin of the launcher, thanks to antistatic paints that avoid significant accumulations of charges.But this specified limitation leads to a lot of non- conformances during production phases and, as a result, this leads to additional costs and delays in launches campaigns. That is why on-ground tests have been defined in order to assess the accessibility of a relaxation of those specifications, which would reduce non-conformances.On-ground tests have been carried out, in the second part, on samples of thermal protections covered with antistatic paints with different degraded values of surface resistance. These tests aimed at checking in which conditions a surface discharge can occur in order to deduce a relationship between characteristics of the samples (surface resistance, half-discharge time) and the occurrence of a surface discharge, at ambient pressure and at low pressure.In the third part, in-flight experiments have been defined in order to confirm some hypotheses considered in the study and to assess some parameters in a more accurate way like the incoming charges density per surface unit or the voltage between stages when they get separated, in order to assess more accurately whether the unwinding equalization wire dedicated to maintain the electrostatic balance between stages is necessary or not.

The dependency of adhesion and friction on electrostatic attraction

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, B. N. J.

2018-04-01

I develop a general mean-field theory for the influence of electrostatic attraction between two solids on the contact mechanics. I assume elastic solids with random surface roughness. I consider two cases, namely, with and without an electrically insulating layer between the conducting solids. The former case is important for, e.g., the finger-touch screen interaction. I study how the electrostatic attraction influences the adhesion and friction. For the case of an insulating layer, I find that when the applied nominal contact pressure is relatively small, as the applied voltage increases, there is a sharp increase in the contact area, and hence in the friction, at a critical voltage.

Interdomain electron transfer in cellobiose dehydrogenase is governed by surface electrostatics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kádek, Alan; Kavan, Daniel; Marcoux, J.; Stojko, J.; Felice, A.K.G.; Cianférani, S.; Ludwig, R.; Halada, Petr; Man, Petr

2017-01-01

Roč. 1861, č. 2 (2017), s. 157-167 ISSN 0304-4165 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP206/12/0503; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA MŠk(CZ) LQ1604 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Cellobiose dehydrogenase * Direct electron transfer * Electrostatic interaction Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry OBOR OECD: Biochemistry and molecular biology Impact factor: 4.702, year: 2016

Friction coefficient dependence on electrostatic tribocharging.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgo, Thiago A L; Silva, Cristiane A; Balestrin, Lia B S; Galembeck, Fernando

2013-01-01

Friction between dielectric surfaces produces patterns of fixed, stable electric charges that in turn contribute electrostatic components to surface interactions between the contacting solids. The literature presents a wealth of information on the electronic contributions to friction in metals and semiconductors but the effect of triboelectricity on friction coefficients of dielectrics is as yet poorly defined and understood. In this work, friction coefficients were measured on tribocharged polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), using three different techniques. As a result, friction coefficients at the macro- and nanoscales increase many-fold when PTFE surfaces are tribocharged, but this effect is eliminated by silanization of glass spheres rolling on PTFE. In conclusion, tribocharging may supersede all other contributions to macro- and nanoscale friction coefficients in PTFE and probably in other insulating polymers.

Conformational analysis of an acyclic tetrapeptide: ab-initio structure determination from X-ray powder diffraction, Hirshfeld surface analysis and electronic structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Uday; Naskar, Jishu; Mukherjee, Alok Kumar

2015-12-01

A terminally protected acyclic tetrapeptide has been synthesized, and the crystal structure of its hydrated form, Boc-Tyr-Aib-Tyr-Ile-OMe·2H2O (1), has been determined directly from powder X-ray diffraction data. The backbone conformation of tetrapeptide (1) exhibiting two consecutive β-turns is stabilized by two 4 → 1 intramolecular N-H · · · O hydrogen bonds. In the crystalline state, the tetrapeptide molecules are assembled through water-mediated O-H · · · O hydrogen bonds to form two-dimensional molecular sheets, which are further linked by intermolecular C-H · · · O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional supramolecular framework. The molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surface of (1) has been used to supplement the crystallographic observations. The nature of intermolecular interactions in (1) has been analyzed quantitatively through the Hirshfeld surface and two-dimensional fingerprint plot. The DFT optimized molecular geometry of (1) agrees closely with that obtained from the X-ray structure analysis. The present structure analysis of Boc-Tyr-Aib-Tyr-Ile-OMe·2H2 O (1) represents a case where ab-initio crystal structure of an acyclic tetrapeptide with considerable molecular flexibility has been accomplished from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of electrostatic supercapacitors by atomic layer deposition on nanoporous anodic aluminium oxides for energy harvesting applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucia eIglesias

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Nanomaterials can provide innovative solutions for solving the usual energy harvesting and storage drawbacks that take place in conventional energy storage devices based on batteries or electrolytic capacitors, because they are not fully capable for attending the fast energy demands and high power densities required in many of present applications. Here, we report on the development and characterization of novel electrostatic supercapacitors made by conformal Atomic Layer Deposition on the high open surface of nanoporous anodic alumina membranes employed as templates. The structure of the designed electrostatic supercapacitor prototype consists of successive layers of Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide, as the bottom and top electrodes, together Al2O3 as the intermediate dielectric layer. The conformality of the deposited conductive and dielectric layers, together with their composition and crystalline structure have been checked by XRD and electron microscopy techniques. Impedance measurements performed for the optimized electrostatic supercapacitor device give a high capacitance value of 200 µF/cm2 at the frequency of 40 Hz, which confirms the theoretical estimations for such kind of prototypes, and the leakage current reaches values around of 1.8 mA/cm2 at 1 V. The high capacitance value achieved by the supercapacitor prototype together its small size turns these devices in outstanding candidates for using in energy harvesting and storage applications.

In situ measurement of electrostatic charge and charge distribution on flyash particles in power station exhaust stream

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guang, D.

1992-01-01

The electrostatic charges and charge distributions on individual flyash particles were experimentally measured in situ at four power stations in New South Wales and in the laboratory with an Electrostatic Charge Classifier. The global charge of these flyashes was also measured. The electrostatic charge on flyash particles of four power stations was found to be globally native. The median charge on the flyash particles varies linearly with particle diameter for all four flyashes. The electrostatic charge on the Tallawarra flyash particles was found to increase after passage through the air heater having huge metal surface areas, suggesting that triboelectrification was the primary charging mechanism for flyash particles. Distinctly different characteristics of the electrostatic charge, particle size and particle shape were found between the Eraring and the Tallawarra flyashes. The spherical Eraring ash has the highest proportion of lines and positively charged particles, but the lowest global charge level among the four flyashes. In contrast, the Tallawarra flyash has just the opposite. It is the distinct characteristics of the flyashes from Eraring and Tallawarra power stations that are responsible for the significant differences in their baghouse performance. The napping feature on the surface of the filter bags used in the Eraring and Tallawarra power stations provides an upstream surface of low fibre density above the fabric bulk. This feature presents and advantage to highly charged particles, like the Tallawarra flyash particles. Highly charged particles tend to deposit on such an upstream surface resulting in a porous dust cake with much less contact areas with the fabric medium than would otherwise be formed. This cake is easy to remove and provides less resistance to the gas flow. After singeing the naps on the filter bag surface at the Eraring power station, the problems of high pressure drop and retention of dust cake on the bas surface have been resolved.

Electrostatic discharge concepts and definitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borovina, Dan L [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2008-01-01

Many objects -like a human body, plastic wrap, or a rolling cart -that are electrically neutral, overall, can gain a net electrostatic charge by means of one of three methods: induction, physical transfer, or triboelectric charging (separation of conductive surfaces). The result is a voltage difference between the charged object and other objects, creating a situation where current flow is likely if two objects come into contact or close proximity. This current flow is known as electrostatic discharge, or ESD. The energy and voltage of the discharge can be influenced by factors such as the temperature and humidity in the room, the types of materials or flooring involved, or the clothing and footwear a person uses. Given the possible ranges of the current and voltage characteristic of an ESD pulse, it is important to consider the safety risks associated with detonator handling, assembly and disassembly, transportation and maintenance. For main charge detonators, these safety risks include high explosive violent reactions (HEVR) as well as inadvertent nuclear detonations (lND).

High-resolution crystal structures of protein helices reconciled with three-centered hydrogen bonds and multipole electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuster, Daniel J; Liu, Chengyu; Fang, Zheng; Ponder, Jay W; Marshall, Garland R

2015-01-01

Theoretical and experimental evidence for non-linear hydrogen bonds in protein helices is ubiquitous. In particular, amide three-centered hydrogen bonds are common features of helices in high-resolution crystal structures of proteins. These high-resolution structures (1.0 to 1.5 Å nominal crystallographic resolution) position backbone atoms without significant bias from modeling constraints and identify Φ = -62°, ψ = -43 as the consensus backbone torsional angles of protein helices. These torsional angles preserve the atomic positions of α-β carbons of the classic Pauling α-helix while allowing the amide carbonyls to form bifurcated hydrogen bonds as first suggested by Némethy et al. in 1967. Molecular dynamics simulations of a capped 12-residue oligoalanine in water with AMOEBA (Atomic Multipole Optimized Energetics for Biomolecular Applications), a second-generation force field that includes multipole electrostatics and polarizability, reproduces the experimentally observed high-resolution helical conformation and correctly reorients the amide-bond carbonyls into bifurcated hydrogen bonds. This simple modification of backbone torsional angles reconciles experimental and theoretical views to provide a unified view of amide three-centered hydrogen bonds as crucial components of protein helices. The reason why they have been overlooked by structural biologists depends on the small crankshaft-like changes in orientation of the amide bond that allows maintenance of the overall helical parameters (helix pitch (p) and residues per turn (n)). The Pauling 3.6(13) α-helix fits the high-resolution experimental data with the minor exception of the amide-carbonyl electron density, but the previously associated backbone torsional angles (Φ, Ψ) needed slight modification to be reconciled with three-atom centered H-bonds and multipole electrostatics. Thus, a new standard helix, the 3.6(13/10)-, Némethy- or N-helix, is proposed. Due to the use of constraints from

Development of coaxial speaker-like non-contact electrostatic sensor for aviation engine exhaust electrostatic character research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Du Zhaoheng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Electrostatic sensor is the most important equipment in aero-engine exhaust electrostatic character research. By comparing a variety of sensor test programs, the coaxial speaker-like noncontact electrostatic sensor program is proposed. Numerical simulation analysis indicates the electric field distribution of electrostatic sensor, the influence principle of gap width, outer diameter, center diameter, angle and other factors on the sensor capacitance values which identify the key indicators of electrostatic sensor. The experiment test shows that the simulation analysis is in good agreement with the experimental results.

Relation between rheological and structural properties of suspensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barcal, M; Sebor, G; Volsicky, Z

1982-01-01

The paper discusses results of investigations into separation processes for coal and kaolin suspensions. Effects of potassium chlorides and methanol additives on electrostatic potential of solid particles and on sedimentation rate are analyzed. Investigation results are shown in 5 diagrams. The relation between rheological and structural properties of coal and clay suspensions is investigated. Investigations show that the non-Newtonian behavior of suspensions cannot be attributed exclusively to the electrostatic and mechanical action of the solid phase particles. It is also caused by structure of the liquid phase, particularly on the surface of the solid particles, which depends mostly on hydrogen bonds. The internal structure of the liquid phase influences differential viscosity much more than the electrical surface properties of the solid phase. Bonds between the molecules of water and methanol are much stronger than bonds between water molecules alone. (9 refs.)

Contribution of Electrostatics in the Fibril Stability of a Model Ionic-Complementary Peptide.

Science.gov (United States)

Owczarz, Marta; Casalini, Tommaso; Motta, Anna C; Morbidelli, Massimo; Arosio, Paolo

2015-12-14

In this work we quantified the role of electrostatic interactions in the self-assembly of a model amphiphilic peptide (RADA 16-I) into fibrillar structures by a combination of size exclusion chromatography and molecular simulations. For the peptide under investigation, it is found that a net charge of +0.75 represents the ideal condition to promote the formation of regular amyloid fibrils. Lower net charges favor the formation of amorphous precipitates, while larger net charges destabilize the fibrillar aggregates and promote a reversible dissociation of monomers from the ends of the fibrils. By quantifying the dependence of the equilibrium constant of this reversible reaction on the pH value and the peptide net charge, we show that electrostatic interactions contribute largely to the free energy of fibril formation. The addition of both salt and a charged destabilizer (guanidinium hydrochloride) at moderate concentration (0.3-1 M) shifts the monomer-fibril equilibrium toward the fibrillar state. Whereas the first effect can be explained by charge screening of electrostatic repulsion only, the promotion of fibril formation in the presence of guanidinium hydrochloride is also attributed to modifications of the peptide conformation. The results of this work indicate that the global peptide net charge is a key property that correlates well with the fibril stability, although the peptide conformation and the surface charge distribution also contribute to the aggregation propensity.

Electrostatic assembly/disassembly of nanoscaled colloidosomes for light-triggered cargo release

KAUST Repository

Li, Song; Moosa, Basem; Croissant, Jonas G.; Khashab, Niveen M.

2015-01-01

the capsules, and greatly limits their applications in large-cargos release. Herein we report nanoscaled colloidosomes designed by the electrostatic assembly of organosilica nanoparticles (NPs) with oppositely charged surfaces (rather than covalent bonds

Yukawa multipole electrostatics and nontrivial coupling between electrostatic and dispersion interactions in electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kjellander, Roland; Ramirez, Rosa

2008-01-01

An exact treatment of screened electrostatics in electrolyte solutions is presented. In electrolytes the anisotropy of the exponentially decaying electrostatic potential from a molecule extends to the far field region. The full directional dependence of the electrostatic potential from a charged or uncharged molecule remains in the longest range tail (i.e. from all multipole moments). In particular, the range of the potential from an ion and that from an electroneutral polar particle is generally exactly the same. This is in contrast to the case in vacuum or pure polar liquids, where the potential from a single charge is longer ranged than that from a dipole, which is, itself, longer ranged than the one from a quadrupole etc. The orientational dependence of the exponentially screened electrostatic interaction between two molecules in electrolytes is therefore rather complex even at long distances. These facts are formalized in Yukawa multipole expansions of the electrostatic potential and the pair interaction free energy based on the Yukawa function family exp(-κr)/r m , where r is the distance, κ is a decay parameter and m is a positive integer. The expansion is formally exact for electrolytes with molecular solvent and in the primitive model, provided the non-Coulombic interactions between the particles are sufficiently short ranged. The results can also be applied in the Poisson-Boltzmann approximation. Differences and similarities to the ordinary multipole expansion of electrostatics are pointed out. On the other hand, when the non-Coulombic interactions between the constituent particles of the electrolyte solution contain a dispersion 1/r 6 potential, the electrostatic potential from a molecule decays like a power law for long distances rather than as a Yukawa function. This is due to nontrivial coupling between the electrostatic and dispersion interactions. There remains an exponentially decaying component in the electrostatic potential, but it becomes

Electrostatic accelerators

CERN Document Server

Hinterberger, F

2006-01-01

The principle of electrostatic accelerators is presented. We consider Cockcroft– Walton, Van de Graaff and Tandem Van de Graaff accelerators. We resume high voltage generators such as cascade generators, Van de Graaff band generators, Pelletron generators, Laddertron generators and Dynamitron generators. The speci c features of accelerating tubes, ion optics and methods of voltage stabilization are described. We discuss the characteristic beam properties and the variety of possible beams. We sketch possible applications and the progress in the development of electrostatic accelerators.

Technical specification for a 25 MV tandem electrostatic accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, C.M.; Biggerstaff, J.A.; Blair, J.K.; Ball, J.B.; Larson, J.D.; Martin, J.A.; McConnell, J.W.; Milner, W.T.; Murray, J.A.; Ziegler, N.F.

1975-08-01

Specifications are given for an accelerator system to consist of a 25 MV tandem electrostatic accelerator and specified ancillary equipment, including an injector, a beam transport system, a vacuum system, a control system, and a system for storage of the insulating gas and transport of the gas to and from the accelerator. The insulating gas shall be SF 6 . The tandem electrostatic accelerator shall be vertical in orientation and of folded construction, and shall be installed in a new structure adjacent to the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron. (auth)

Low-frequency electrostatic waves in the ionospheric E region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krane, B [NDRE, Box 25, N-2027 Kjeller (Norway); Pecseli, H L; Sato, H [Physics Department, University of Oslo, PO Box 1048 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo (Norway); Trulsen, J [Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1029 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo (Norway); Wernik, A W, E-mail: hans.pecseli@fys.uio.n [Space Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Bartycka 18a, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

2010-06-15

Low-frequency electrostatic waves in the ionospheric E region are studied by analyzing data obtained by instrumented rockets. We identify the origin of the enhanced fluctuation level to be the Farley-Buneman instability. The basic information on instability, such as altitude varying spectra and speed of propagation are obtained. Comparison of power spectra for the fluctuations in plasma density and electrostatic potential, respectively, provides information on the electron dynamics. A bispectral analysis gives indications of phase-coherent couplings within the wave spectrum, while higher order structure functions indicate some intermittent features of the turbulence.

A Solvatochromic Model Calibrates Nitriles’ Vibrational Frequencies to Electrostatic Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Bagchi, Sayan; Fried, Stephen D.; Boxer, Steven G.

2012-01-01

Electrostatic interactions provide a primary connection between a protein’s three-dimensional structure and its function. Infrared (IR) probes are useful because vibrational frequencies of certain chemical groups, such as nitriles, are linearly sensitive to local electrostatic field, and can serve as a molecular electric field meter. IR spectroscopy has been used to study electrostatic changes or fluctuations in proteins, but measured peak frequencies have not been previously mapped to total electric fields, because of the absence of a field-frequency calibration and the complication of local chemical effects such as H-bonds. We report a solvatochromic model that provides a means to assess the H-bonding status of aromatic nitrile vibrational probes, and calibrates their vibrational frequencies to electrostatic field. The analysis involves correlations between the nitrile’s IR frequency and its 13C chemical shift, whose observation is facilitated by a robust method for introducing isotopes into aromatic nitriles. The method is tested on the model protein Ribonuclease S (RNase S) containing a labeled p-CN-Phe near the active site. Comparison of the measurements in RNase S against solvatochromic data gives an estimate of the average total electrostatic field at this location. The value determined agrees quantitatively with MD simulations, suggesting broader potential for the use of IR probes in the study of protein electrostatics. PMID:22694663

Influence of ionic strength and surfactant concentration on electrostatic surfacial assembly of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-capped gold nanorods on fully immersed glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferhan, Abdul Rahim; Guo, Longhua; Kim, Dong-Hwan

2010-07-20

The effect of ionic strength as well as surfactant concentration on the surface assembly of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-capped gold nanorods (GNRs) has been studied. Glass substrates were modified to yield a net negative charge through electrostatic coating of polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) over a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of positively charged aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS). The substrates were then fully immersed in GNR solutions at different CTAB concentrations and ionic strengths. Under slightly excess CTAB concentrations, it was observed that the density of GNRs immobilized on a substrate was predictably tunable through the adjustment of NaCl concentration over a wide range. Motivated by the experimental observation, we hypothesize that electrostatic shielding of charges around the GNRs affects the density of GNR immobilization. This model ultimately explains that at moderate to high CTAB concentrations a second electrostatic shielding effect contributed by excess CTAB molecules occurs, resulting in a parabolic trend of nanorod surface density when ionic strength is continually increased. In contrast, at a low CTAB concentration, the effect of ionic strength becomes much less significant due to insufficient CTAB molecules to provide for the second electrostatic shielding effect. The tunability of electrostatic-based surface assembly of GNRs enables the attainment of a dense surface assembly of nanorods without significant removal of CTAB or any other substituted stabilizing agent, both of which could compromise the stability and morphology of GNRs in solution. An additional study performed to investigate the robustness of such electrostatic-based surface assembly also proved its reliability to be used as biosensing platforms.

Electrostatics in Chemistry

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

characteristics and applications of the electrostatic potential of many-electron atoms, ions and molecules are discussed. Electrostatic Potential of Atoms and Singly. Charged ..... [6] R K Pathak and S R Gadre,J. Chat. Phys., 93, 1770, 1990. [7] S R Gadre, S A Kalkarni and I H Shrivastava,J. Chern. Phys., 96,52;3,. 1992. ~ .1.

The impact of electrostatic correlations on Dielectrophoresis of Non-conducting Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Alidoosti, Elaheh; Zhao, Hui

2017-11-01

The dipole moment of a charged, dielectric, spherical particle under the influence of a uniform alternating electric field is computed theoretically and numerically by solving the modified continuum Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations accounting for ion-ion electrostatic correlations that is important at concentrated electrolytes (Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 2011). The dependence on the frequency, zeta potential, electrostatic correlation lengths, and double layer thickness is thoroughly investigated. In the limit of thin double layers, we carry out asymptotic analysis to develop simple models which are in good agreement with the modified PNP model. Our results suggest that the electrostatic correlations have a complicated impact on the dipole moment. As the electrostatic correlations length increases, the dipole moment decreases, initially, reach a minimum, and then increases since the surface conduction first decreases and then increases due to the ion-ion correlations. The modified PNP model can improve the theoretical predictions particularly at low frequencies where the simple model can't qualitatively predict the dipole moment. This work was supported, in part, by NIH R15GM116039.

Interaction of particles with complex electrostatic structures and 3D clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonova, Tetyana

2007-01-01

Particles of micrometer size externally introduced in plasmas usually find their positions of levitation in the plasma sheath, where the gravity force is compensated by the strong electric field. Here due to electrostatic interaction they form different structures, which are interesting objects for the investigation of strongly coupled systems and critical phenomena. Because of the low damping (e.g. in comparison to colloidal suspension) it is possible to measure the dynamics up to the relevant highest frequency (e.g. Einstein frequency) at the most elementary level of single particle motion. The task of this work was to analyze the three dimensional structure, dynamical processes and the limit of the cooperative behavior in small plasma crystals. In addition to the study of the systems formed, the immersed particles themselves may be used for diagnostics of the plasma environment: estimation of parameters or monitoring of the processes inside plasma. The laboratory experiments are performed in two radio-frequency (RF) plasma reactors with parallel plate electrodes, where the lower electrode is a so-called ''adaptive electrode''. This electrode is segmented into 57 small ''pixels'' independently driven in DC (direct current) and/or RF voltage. When RF voltage is applied to one of these pixels, a bright localized glow, ''secondary plasma ball'', appears above. Three dimensional dust crystals with less than 100 particles are formed inside this ''plasma ball'' - the ideal conditions for the investigation of the transition from cluster systems to collective systems. The investigation of the particle interactions in crystals is performed with an optical diagnostic, which allows determination of all three particle coordinates simultaneously with time resolution of 0.04 sec. The experimental results are: 1. The binary interaction among particles in addition to the repelling Coulomb force exhibits also an attractive part, which is experimentally determined for the first

Interaction of particles with complex electrostatic structures and 3D clusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antonova, Tetyana

2007-10-16

Particles of micrometer size externally introduced in plasmas usually find their positions of levitation in the plasma sheath, where the gravity force is compensated by the strong electric field. Here due to electrostatic interaction they form different structures, which are interesting objects for the investigation of strongly coupled systems and critical phenomena. Because of the low damping (e.g. in comparison to colloidal suspension) it is possible to measure the dynamics up to the relevant highest frequency (e.g. Einstein frequency) at the most elementary level of single particle motion. The task of this work was to analyze the three dimensional structure, dynamical processes and the limit of the cooperative behavior in small plasma crystals. In addition to the study of the systems formed, the immersed particles themselves may be used for diagnostics of the plasma environment: estimation of parameters or monitoring of the processes inside plasma. The laboratory experiments are performed in two radio-frequency (RF) plasma reactors with parallel plate electrodes, where the lower electrode is a so-called 'adaptive electrode'. This electrode is segmented into 57 small 'pixels' independently driven in DC (direct current) and/or RF voltage. When RF voltage is applied to one of these pixels, a bright localized glow, 'secondary plasma ball', appears above. Three dimensional dust crystals with less than 100 particles are formed inside this 'plasma ball' - the ideal conditions for the investigation of the transition from cluster systems to collective systems. The investigation of the particle interactions in crystals is performed with an optical diagnostic, which allows determination of all three particle coordinates simultaneously with time resolution of 0.04 sec. The experimental results are: 1. The binary interaction among particles in addition to the repelling Coulomb force exhibits also an attractive part, which is

Electrostatic microactuators with integrated gear linkages for mechanical power transmission

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Legtenberg, R.; Legtenberg, Rob; Berenschot, Johan W.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt; Fluitman, J.H.J.

1996-01-01

In this paper a surface micromachining process is presented which has been used to fabricate electrostatic microactuators that are interconnected with each other and linked to other movable microstructures by integrated gear linkages. The gear linkages consist of rotational and linear gear

Friction coefficient dependence on electrostatic tribocharging

Science.gov (United States)

Burgo, Thiago A. L.; Silva, Cristiane A.; Balestrin, Lia B. S.; Galembeck, Fernando

2013-01-01

Friction between dielectric surfaces produces patterns of fixed, stable electric charges that in turn contribute electrostatic components to surface interactions between the contacting solids. The literature presents a wealth of information on the electronic contributions to friction in metals and semiconductors but the effect of triboelectricity on friction coefficients of dielectrics is as yet poorly defined and understood. In this work, friction coefficients were measured on tribocharged polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), using three different techniques. As a result, friction coefficients at the macro- and nanoscales increase many-fold when PTFE surfaces are tribocharged, but this effect is eliminated by silanization of glass spheres rolling on PTFE. In conclusion, tribocharging may supersede all other contributions to macro- and nanoscale friction coefficients in PTFE and probably in other insulating polymers. PMID:23934227

Tuning structure of oppositely charged nanoparticle and protein complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Sugam, E-mail: sugam@barc.gov.in; Aswal, V. K., E-mail: sugam@barc.gov.in [Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai-400085 (India); Callow, P. [Institut Laue Langevin, DS/LSS, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

2014-04-24

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to probe the structures of anionic silica nanoparticles (LS30) and cationic lyszyme protein (M.W. 14.7kD, I.P. ∼ 11.4) by tuning their interaction through the pH variation. The protein adsorption on nanoparticles is found to be increasing with pH and determined by the electrostatic attraction between two components as well as repulsion between protein molecules. We show the strong electrostatic attraction between nanoparticles and protein molecules leads to protein-mediated aggregation of nanoparticles which are characterized by fractal structures. At pH 5, the protein adsorption gives rise to nanoparticle aggregation having surface fractal morphology with close packing of nanoparticles. The surface fractals transform to open structures of mass fractal morphology at higher pH (7 and 9) on approaching isoelectric point (I.P.)

Electrostatic quadrupole array for focusing parallel beams of charged particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodowski, J.

1982-01-01

An array of electrostatic quadrupoles, capable of providing strong electrostatic focusing simultaneously on multiple beams, is easily fabricated from a single array element comprising a support rod and multiple electrodes spaced at intervals along the rod. The rods are secured to four terminals which are isolated by only four insulators. This structure requires bias voltage to be supplied to only two terminals and eliminates the need for individual electrode bias and insulators, as well as increases life by eliminating beam plating of insulators

Surface engineering of zirconium particles by molecular layer deposition: Significantly enhanced electrostatic safety at minimum loss of the energy density

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Lijun; Yan, Ning; Hao, Haixia; An, Ting; Zhao, Fengqi; Feng, Hao

2018-04-01

Because of its high volumetric heat of oxidation, Zr powder is a promising high energy fuel/additive for rocket propellants. However, the application of Zr powder is restricted by its ultra-high electrostatic discharge sensitivity, which poses great hazards for handling, transportation and utilization of this material. By performing molecular layer deposition of polyimide using 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic anhydride and ethylenediamine as the precursors, Zr particles can be uniformly encapsulated by thin layers of the polymer. The thicknesses of the encapsulation layers can be precisely controlled by adjusting the number of deposition cycle. High temperature annealing converts the polymer layer into a carbon coating. Results of thermal analyses reveal that the polymer or carbon coatings have little negative effect on the energy release process of the Zr powder. By varying the thickness of the polyimide or carbon coating, electrostatic discharge sensitivity of the Zr powder can be tuned in a wide range and its uncontrolled ignition hazard can be virtually eliminated. This research demonstrates the great potential of molecular layer deposition in effectively modifying the surface properties of highly reactive metal based energetic materials with minimum sacrifices of their energy densities.

Quantitative structure-cytotoxicity relationship of phenylpropanoid amides.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Chiyako; Uesawa, Yoshihiro; Ishihara, Mariko; Kagaya, Hajime; Kanamoto, Taisei; Terakubo, Shigemi; Nakashima, Hideki; Takao, Koichi; Saito, Takayuki; Sugita, Yoshiaki; Sakagami, Hiroshi

2014-07-01

A total of 12 phenylpropanoid amides were subjected to quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis, based on their cytotoxicity, tumor selectivity and anti-HIV activity, in order to investigate on their biological activities. Cytotoxicity against four human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines and three human oral normal cells was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Tumor selectivity was evaluated by the ratio of the mean CC50 (50% cytotoxic concentration) against normal oral cells to that against OSCC cell lines. Anti-HIV activity was evaluated by the ratio of CC50 to EC50 (50% cytoprotective concentration from HIV infection). Physicochemical, structural, and quantum-chemical parameters were calculated based on the conformations optimized by the LowModeMD method followed by density functional theory (DFT) method. Twelve phenylpropanoid amides showed moderate cytotoxicity against both normal and OSCC cell lines. N-Caffeoyl derivatives coupled with vanillylamine and tyramine exhibited relatively higher tumor selectivity. Cytotoxicity against normal cells was correlated with descriptors related to electrostatic interaction such as polar surface area and chemical hardness, whereas cytotoxicity against tumor cells correlated with free energy, surface area and ellipticity. The tumor-selective cytotoxicity correlated with molecular size (surface area) and electrostatic interaction (the maximum electrostatic potential). The molecular size, shape and ability for electrostatic interaction are useful parameters for estimating the tumor selectivity of phenylpropanoid amides. Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Negative adsorption due to electrostatic exclusion of micelles.

Science.gov (United States)

Somasundaran, P; Ananthapadmanabhan, K P; Deo, Puspendu

2005-10-15

Interactions of surfactants with solid substrates are important in the controlling of processes such as flotation, coating, flocculation and sedimentation. These interactions usually lead to adsorption on solids, but can also result in an exclusion of the reagents with dire consequences. In this work electrostatic exclusion of negatively charged dodecylbenzene sulfonate micelles from quartz/water, Bio-Sil/water and alumina/water interfaces has been investigated as a function of pH and ionic strength. Measurable negative adsorption of these surfactants from similarly charged solid/liquid interface was observed in the micellar region. In the case of porous samples with large surface area, comparison of pore size with the micelle size is necessary to avoid any erroneous conclusions regarding the role of electrostatic exclusion in a given system. A theoretical model for the electrostatic exclusion of micelles is developed and used to calculate the adsorption of negatively charged dodecylbenzene sulfonate on negatively charged quartz (pH 7), silica (Bio-Sil A, pH 3) and alumina (pH 11) in the micellar concentration region. The micellar exclusion values calculated using the model are in excellent agreement with the experimental results.

Bounding the electrostatic free energies associated with linear continuum models of molecular solvation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardhan, Jaydeep P; Knepley, Matthew G; Anitescu, Mihai

2009-03-14

The importance of electrostatic interactions in molecular biology has driven extensive research toward the development of accurate and efficient theoretical and computational models. Linear continuum electrostatic theory has been surprisingly successful, but the computational costs associated with solving the associated partial differential equations (PDEs) preclude the theory's use in most dynamical simulations. Modern generalized-Born models for electrostatics can reproduce PDE-based calculations to within a few percent and are extremely computationally efficient but do not always faithfully reproduce interactions between chemical groups. Recent work has shown that a boundary-integral-equation formulation of the PDE problem leads naturally to a new approach called boundary-integral-based electrostatics estimation (BIBEE) to approximate electrostatic interactions. In the present paper, we prove that the BIBEE method can be used to rigorously bound the actual continuum-theory electrostatic free energy. The bounds are validated using a set of more than 600 proteins. Detailed numerical results are presented for structures of the peptide met-enkephalin taken from a molecular-dynamics simulation. These bounds, in combination with our demonstration that the BIBEE methods accurately reproduce pairwise interactions, suggest a new approach toward building a highly accurate yet computationally tractable electrostatic model.

Bounding the electrostatic free energies associated with linear continuum models of molecular solvation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardhan, J. P.; Knepley, M. G.; Anitescu, M. (Biosciences Division); ( MCS); (Rush Univ.)

2009-03-01

The importance of electrostatic interactions in molecular biology has driven extensive research toward the development of accurate and efficient theoretical and computational models. Linear continuum electrostatic theory has been surprisingly successful, but the computational costs associated with solving the associated partial differential equations (PDEs) preclude the theory's use in most dynamical simulations. Modern generalized-Born models for electrostatics can reproduce PDE-based calculations to within a few percent and are extremely computationally efficient but do not always faithfully reproduce interactions between chemical groups. Recent work has shown that a boundary-integral-equation formulation of the PDE problem leads naturally to a new approach called boundary-integral-based electrostatics estimation (BIBEE) to approximate electrostatic interactions. In the present paper, we prove that the BIBEE method can be used to rigorously bound the actual continuum-theory electrostatic free energy. The bounds are validated using a set of more than 600 proteins. Detailed numerical results are presented for structures of the peptide met-enkephalin taken from a molecular-dynamics simulation. These bounds, in combination with our demonstration that the BIBEE methods accurately reproduce pairwise interactions, suggest a new approach toward building a highly accurate yet computationally tractable electrostatic model.

Finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in thin semiconductor specimens for electron holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somodi, P.K.; Twitchett-Harrison, A.C.; Midgley, P.A. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ (United Kingdom); Kardynał, B.E. [Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Barnes, C.H.W. [Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Dunin-Borkowski, R.E., E-mail: rafaldb@gmail.com [Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute 5, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)

2013-11-15

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in parallel-sided semiconductor specimens that contain p–n junctions are used to assess the effect of the electrical state of the surface of a thin specimen on projected potentials measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. For a specimen that is constrained to have an equipotential surface, the simulations show that the step in the projected potential across a p–n junction is always lower than would be predicted from the properties of the bulk device, but is relatively insensitive to the value of the surface state energy, especially for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. The depletion width measured from the projected potential, however, has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness. The results of the simulations are of broader interest for understanding the influence of surfaces and interfaces on electrostatic potentials in nanoscale semiconductor devices. - Highlights: • Finite element simulations are performed to calculate electrostatic dopant potentials in TEM specimens that contain p–n junctions. • The effect of the electrical state of the specimen surface on the projected potential is assessed for equipotential specimen surfaces. • The step in projected potential is always found to be lower than the step in potential in the bulk device. • The step in projected potential is least sensitive to surface state energy for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. • The depletion width measured from the projected potential has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness.

Finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in thin semiconductor specimens for electron holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somodi, P.K.; Twitchett-Harrison, A.C.; Midgley, P.A.; Kardynał, B.E.; Barnes, C.H.W.; Dunin-Borkowski, R.E.

2013-01-01

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in parallel-sided semiconductor specimens that contain p–n junctions are used to assess the effect of the electrical state of the surface of a thin specimen on projected potentials measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. For a specimen that is constrained to have an equipotential surface, the simulations show that the step in the projected potential across a p–n junction is always lower than would be predicted from the properties of the bulk device, but is relatively insensitive to the value of the surface state energy, especially for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. The depletion width measured from the projected potential, however, has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness. The results of the simulations are of broader interest for understanding the influence of surfaces and interfaces on electrostatic potentials in nanoscale semiconductor devices. - Highlights: • Finite element simulations are performed to calculate electrostatic dopant potentials in TEM specimens that contain p–n junctions. • The effect of the electrical state of the specimen surface on the projected potential is assessed for equipotential specimen surfaces. • The step in projected potential is always found to be lower than the step in potential in the bulk device. • The step in projected potential is least sensitive to surface state energy for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. • The depletion width measured from the projected potential has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness

Effects of dielectric inhomogeneity on electrostatic twist rigidity of a helical biomolecule in Debye-Hückel regime

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaie-Dereshgi, Amir; Mohammad-Rafiee, Farshid

2018-04-01

The electrostatic interactions play a crucial role in biological systems. Here we consider an impermeable dielectric molecule in the solvent with a different dielectric constant. The electrostatic free energy in the problem is studied in the Debye-Hückel regime using the analytical Green function that is calculated in the paper. Using this electrostatic free energy, we study the electrostatic contribution to the twist rigidity of a double stranded helical molecule such as a DNA and an actin filament. The dependence of the electrostatic twist rigidity of the molecule to the dielectric inhomogeneity, structural parameters, and the salt concentration is studied. It is shown that, depending on the parameters, the electrostatic twist rigidity could be positive or negative.

New Distributed Multipole Methods for Accurate Electrostatics for Large-Scale Biomolecular Simultations

Science.gov (United States)

Sagui, Celeste

2006-03-01

An accurate and numerically efficient treatment of electrostatics is essential for biomolecular simulations, as this stabilizes much of the delicate 3-d structure associated with biomolecules. Currently, force fields such as AMBER and CHARMM assign ``partial charges'' to every atom in a simulation in order to model the interatomic electrostatic forces, so that the calculation of the electrostatics rapidly becomes the computational bottleneck in large-scale simulations. There are two main issues associated with the current treatment of classical electrostatics: (i) how does one eliminate the artifacts associated with the point-charges (e.g., the underdetermined nature of the current RESP fitting procedure for large, flexible molecules) used in the force fields in a physically meaningful way? (ii) how does one efficiently simulate the very costly long-range electrostatic interactions? Recently, we have dealt with both of these challenges as follows. In order to improve the description of the molecular electrostatic potentials (MEPs), a new distributed multipole analysis based on localized functions -- Wannier, Boys, and Edminston-Ruedenberg -- was introduced, which allows for a first principles calculation of the partial charges and multipoles. Through a suitable generalization of the particle mesh Ewald (PME) and multigrid method, one can treat electrostatic multipoles all the way to hexadecapoles all without prohibitive extra costs. The importance of these methods for large-scale simulations will be discussed, and examplified by simulations from polarizable DNA models.

The experimental study of residual radioactivity induced in electrostatic deflector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Chong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As one of the key components of Sector Focusing Cyclotron at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the electrostatic deflector can be activated by primary and secondary particles, because of a mismatch between the actual value and the design value of the emittance and emergence angle. In addition, it will be struck by more particles, since there is a stray magnetic field and outgas from the surface of the electrostatic deflector. The residual radioactivity in the electrostatic deflector has been studied in two aspects: specific activity and residual dose rate, based on the gamma-ray spectrometry and Fluke 451p ionization chamber, respectively. The specific activity of radionuclides in the main components and the dust on the enclosure have been investigated by using gamma-ray spectrometry. The residual dose rate around the electrostatic deflector has been obtained by Fluke 451p ionization chamber. The results of the study show that there is a non-negligible radiological risk to the staff. This result can be provided as guidance for making a maintenance schedule, so that the dose received by staff can be kept as low as reasonably achievable. Based on the results, advice for "hands-on" maintenance and decommissioning of the SFC have been provided.

The first step in layer-by-layer deposition: Electrostatics and/or non-electrostatics?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lyklema, J.; Deschênes, L.

2011-01-01

A critical discussion is presented on the properties and prerequisites of adsorbed polyelectrolytes that have to function as substrates for further layer-by-layer deposition. The central theme is discriminating between the roles of electrostatic and non-electrostatic interactions. In order to

The effect of physiological conditions on the surface structure of proteins: Setting the scene for human digestion of emulsions

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado-Valderrama, J.; Gunning, A. P.; Ridout, M. J.; Wilde, P. J.; Morris, V. J.

2009-10-01

Understanding and manipulating the interfacial mechanisms that control human digestion of food emulsions is a crucial step towards improved control of dietary intake. This article reports initial studies on the effects of the physiological conditions within the stomach on the properties of the film formed by the milk protein ( β -lactoglobulin) at the air-water interface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface tension and surface rheology techniques were used to visualize and examine the effect of gastric conditions on the network structure. The effects of changes in temperature, pH and ionic strength on a pre-formed interfacial structure were characterized in order to simulate the actual digestion process. Changes in ionic strength had little effect on the surface properties. In isolation, acidification reduced both the dilatational and the surface shear modulus, mainly due to strong repulsive electrostatic interactions within the surface layer and raising the temperature to body temperature accelerated the rearrangements within the surface layer, resulting in a decrease of the dilatational response and an increase of surface pressure. Together pH and temperature display an unexpected synergism, independent of the ionic strength. Thus, exposure of a pre-formed interfacial β -lactoglobulin film to simulated gastric conditions reduced the surface dilatational modulus and surface shear moduli. This is attributed to a weakening of the surface network in which the surface rearrangements of the protein prior to exposure to gastric conditions might play a crucial role.

Interaction dynamics of electrostatic solitary waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. L. Krasovsky

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Interaction of nonlinear electrostatic pulses associated with electron phase density holes moving in a collisionless plasma is studied. An elementary event of the interaction is analyzed on the basis of the energy balance in the system consisting of two electrostatic solitary waves. It is established that an intrinsic property of the system is a specific irreversibility caused by a nonadiabatic modification of the internal structure of the holes and their effective heating in the process of the interaction. This dynamical irreversibility is closely connected with phase mixing of the trapped electrons comprising the holes and oscillating in the varying self-consistent potential wells. As a consequence of the irreversibility, the "collisions" of the solitary waves should be treated as "inelastic" ones. This explains the general tendency to the merging of the phase density holes frequently observed in numerical simulation and to corresponding coupling of the solitary waves.

Electrostatic sensor modeling for torque measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Mika, Michał; Dannert, Mirjam; Mett, Felix; Weber, Harry; Mathis, Wolfgang; Nackenhorst, Udo

2017-09-01

Torque load measurements play an important part in various engineering applications, as for automotive industry, in which the drive torque of a motor has to be determined. A widely used measuring method are strain gauges. A thin flexible foil, which supports a metallic pattern, is glued to the surface of the object the torque is being applied to. In case of a deformation due to the torque load, the change in the electrical resistance is measured. With the combination of constitutive equations the applied torque load is determined by the change of electrical resistance. The creep of the glue and the foil material, together with the temperature and humidity dependence, may become an obstacle for some applications Kapralov and Fesenko (1984). Thus, there have been optical and magnetical, as well as capacitive sensors introduced). This paper discusses the general idea behind an electrostatic capacitive sensor based on a simple draft of an exemplary measurement setup. For better understanding an own electrostatical, geometrical and mechanical model of this setup has been developed.

Electrostatic sensor modeling for torque measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Mika

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Torque load measurements play an important part in various engineering applications, as for automotive industry, in which the drive torque of a motor has to be determined. A widely used measuring method are strain gauges. A thin flexible foil, which supports a metallic pattern, is glued to the surface of the object the torque is being applied to. In case of a deformation due to the torque load, the change in the electrical resistance is measured. With the combination of constitutive equations the applied torque load is determined by the change of electrical resistance. The creep of the glue and the foil material, together with the temperature and humidity dependence, may become an obstacle for some applications Kapralov and Fesenko(1984. Thus, there have been optical and magnetical, as well as capacitive sensors introduced . This paper discusses the general idea behind an electrostatic capacitive sensor based on a simple draft of an exemplary measurement setup. For better understanding an own electrostatical, geometrical and mechanical model of this setup has been developed.

Ion sources for electrostatic accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellborg, R.

1998-01-01

Maybe the most important part of an electrostatic accelerator system, and also often the most tricky part is the ion source. There has been a rapid growth in activity in ion-source research and development during the last two to three decades. Some of these developments have also been of benefit to electrostatic accelerator users. In this report some of the different types of ion sources used in electrostatic accelerators are described. The list is not complete but more an overview of some of the more commonly used sources. The description is divided into two groups; positive ion sources for single stage electrostatic accelerators and negative ion sources for two stages (i.e. tandem) accelerators

A strong focussing cylindrical electrostatic quadrupole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheng Yaochang

1986-01-01

The construction and performance of small cylindrical electrostatic quadrupole, which is installed in JM-400 pulse electrostatic accelerator, are described. This electrostatic quadrupole is not only used in neutron generator, but also suitable for ion injector as well as for low energy electron accelerator

Electrostatic Detumble of Space Objects

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Electrostatic Tractor Technology research explores the harmony of physics and engineering to develop and test electrostatic actuation methods for touchless detumble...

Linear electrostatic micromotors for nano- and micro-positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Baginsky, I. L.; Kostsov, Edvard G.

2004-05-01

The functioning of the linear step electrostatic film micromotors with the short controlling pulse (less then 100-200 ´s) is studied to create nano- and micro-positioners. The theoretical study of the step movement of the given mass in this time frame is carried out. The results of the experimental studies of the multipetal reciprocal micromotors created on the basis of La modified Ba0.5Sr0.5Nb2O6 ferroelectric films with 1-3 μm thickness are shown. The petals were made of beryllium bronze. It is shown that the electrostatic rolling can last less than 50 μs, and the process of separating two surfaces (the metal and the ferroelectric) can last less than 1 μs. These parameters allow one to operate the micromotor at 1-10 kHz frequency, and the propulsion force in the beginning (the first 20-100 μs) of the electrostatic rolling can be as high as 1-10 N per 1 mm2 of the rolling surface with the voltage pulse amplitude of 40-50 V. The possibility of obtaining moving plate (MP) step in the nanometer range is studied, as well as the precision of these steps during the continuous MP movement with the different clock frequencies and durations of the voltage pulses. The recommendations are given to improve the accuracy and the speed of the positioning in the nano- and micro-movement range. Possible fields of micromotor application are micromechanics, including precision micromechanics, microelectronics, microrobots, microoptics, microscanners, micropumps (e.g. in the jet printers), micro flying vehicles etc.

Fibrillar Structure and Charge Determine the Interaction of Polyglutamine Protein Aggregates with the Cell Surface*

Science.gov (United States)

Trevino, R. Sean; Lauckner, Jane E.; Sourigues, Yannick; Pearce, Margaret M.; Bousset, Luc; Melki, Ronald; Kopito, Ron R.

2012-01-01

The pathogenesis of most neurodegenerative diseases, including transmissible diseases like prion encephalopathy, inherited disorders like Huntington disease, and sporadic diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, is intimately linked to the formation of fibrillar protein aggregates. It is becoming increasingly appreciated that prion-like intercellular transmission of protein aggregates can contribute to the stereotypical spread of disease pathology within the brain, but the mechanisms underlying the binding and uptake of protein aggregates by mammalian cells are largely uninvestigated. We have investigated the properties of polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregates that endow them with the ability to bind to mammalian cells in culture and the properties of the cell surface that facilitate such uptake. Binding and internalization of polyQ aggregates are common features of mammalian cells and depend upon both trypsin-sensitive and trypsin-resistant saturable sites on the cell surface, suggesting the involvement of cell surface proteins in this process. polyQ aggregate binding depends upon the presence of a fibrillar amyloid-like structure and does not depend upon electrostatic interaction of fibrils with the cell surface. Sequences in the huntingtin protein that flank the amyloid-forming polyQ tract also influence the extent to which aggregates are able to bind to cell surfaces. PMID:22753412

Electrostatic Levitator Layout

Science.gov (United States)

1998-01-01

Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) general layout with captions. The ESL uses static electricity to suspend an object (about 2-3 mm in diameter) inside a vacuum chamber while a laser heats the sample until it melts. This lets scientists record a wide range of physical properties without the sample contacting the container or any instruments, conditions that would alter the readings. The Electrostatic Levitator is one of several tools used in NASA's microgravity materials science program.

An electrostatic lower stator axial gap wobble motor: design and fabrication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Legtenberg, R.; Legtenberg, Rob; Berenschot, Johan W.; van Baar, J.J.J.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

1995-01-01

The fabrication, initial modelling and first results of an electrostatic lower stator axial gap wobble motor are presented. The four mask fabrication process is based on polysilicon surface micromachining techniques. Three to twelve stator pole wobble motor designs have been realized with rotor

Turbulent flux and the diffusion of passive tracers in electrostatic turbulence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Basu, R.; Jessen, T.; Naulin, V.

2003-01-01

The connection between the diffusion of passive tracer particles and the anomalous turbulent flux in electrostatic drift-wave turbulence is investigated by direct numerical solutions of the 2D Hasegawa-Wakatani equations. The probability density functions for the point-wise and flux surface...

Role of electrostatics in the assembly pathway of a single-stranded RNA virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Garmann, Rees F; Comas-Garcia, Mauricio; Koay, Melissa S T; Cornelissen, Jeroen J L M; Knobler, Charles M; Gelbart, William M

2014-09-01

We have recently discovered (R. D. Cadena-Nava et al., J. Virol. 86:3318-3326, 2012, doi:10.1128/JVI.06566-11) that the in vitro packaging of RNA by the capsid protein (CP) of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus is optimal when there is a significant excess of CP, specifically that complete packaging of all of the RNA in solution requires sufficient CP to provide charge matching of the N-terminal positively charged arginine-rich motifs (ARMS) of the CPs with the negatively charged phosphate backbone of the RNA. We show here that packaging results from the initial formation of a charge-matched protocapsid consisting of RNA decorated by a disordered arrangement of CPs. This protocapsid reorganizes into the final, icosahedrally symmetric nucleocapsid by displacing the excess CPs from the RNA to the exterior surface of the emerging capsid through electrostatic attraction between the ARMs of the excess CP and the negative charge density of the capsid exterior. As a test of this scenario, we prepare CP mutants with extra and missing (relative to the wild type) cationic residues and show that a correspondingly smaller and larger excess, respectively, of CP is needed for complete packaging of RNA. Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) has long been studied as a model system for the assembly of single-stranded RNA viruses. While much is known about the electrostatic interactions within the CCMV virion, relatively little is known about these interactions during assembly, i.e., within intermediate states preceding the final nucleocapsid structure. Theoretical models and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations suggest that viruses like CCMV assemble by the bulk adsorption of CPs onto the RNA driven by electrostatic attraction, followed by structural reorganization into the final capsid. Such a mechanism facilitates assembly by condensing the RNA for packaging while simultaneously concentrating the local density of CP for capsid nucleation. We provide experimental evidence of

Electrostatically atomised hydrocarbon sprays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yule, A.J.; Shrimpton, J.S.; Watkins, A.P.; Balachandran, W.; Hu, D. [UMIST, Manchester (United Kingdom). Thermofluids Division, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

1995-07-01

A burner using an electrostatic method to produce and control a fuel spray is investigated for non-burning sprays. The burner has a charge injection nozzle and the liquid flow rate and charge injection rate are varied using hydrocarbon liquids of differing viscosities, surface tensions and electrical conductivities (kerosene, white spirit and diesel oil). Droplet size distributions are measured and it is shown how the dropsize, spray pattern, breakup mechanism and breakup length depend on the above variables, and in particular on the specific charge achieved in the spray. The data are valuable for validating two computer models under development. One predicts the electric field and flow field inside the nozzle as a function of emitter potential, geometry and flow rate. The other predicts the effect of charge on spray dispersion, with a view to optimizing spray combustion. It is shown that electrostatic disruptive forces can be used to atomize oils at flow rates commensurate with practical combustion systems and that the charge injection technique is particularly suitable for highly resistive liquids. Possible limitations requiring further research include the need to control the wide spray angle, which may provide fuel-air mixtures too lean near the nozzle, and the need to design for maximum charge injection rate, which is thought to be limited by corona breakdown in the gas near the nozzle orifice. 30 refs., 15 figs., 1 tab.

Measurement of electrostatically formed antennas using photogrammetry and theodolites

Science.gov (United States)

Goslee, J. W.; Hinson, W. F.; Kennefick, J. F.; Mihora, D. J.

1984-01-01

An antenna concept is presently being evaluated which has extremely low mass and high surface precision for potential depolyment from the Space Shuttle. This antenna concept derives its reflector surface quality from the application of electrostatic forces to tension and form a thin membrane into the desired concave reflector surface. The Shuttle-deployed antenna would have a diameter of 100 meters and an RMS surface smoothness of 10 to 1 mm for operation at 1 to 10 GHz. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has built, and is currently testing, a subscale (1/20 scale) membrane reflector model of such an antenna. Several surface measurement systems were evaluated as part of the experimental surface measuring efforts. The surface measurement systems are addressed as well as some of the preliminary measurement results.

Electrostatic assembly/disassembly of nanoscaled colloidosomes for light-triggered cargo release

KAUST Repository

Li, Song

2015-04-27

Colloidosome capsules possess the potential for the encapsulation and release of molecular and macromolecular cargos. However, the stabilization of the colloidosome shell usually requires an additional covalent crosslinking which irreversibly seals the capsules, and greatly limits their applications in large-cargos release. Herein we report nanoscaled colloidosomes designed by the electrostatic assembly of organosilica nanoparticles (NPs) with oppositely charged surfaces (rather than covalent bonds), arising from different contents of a bridged nitrophenylene-alkoxysilane [NB; 3-nitro-N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)-4-(((3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)-amino)methyl)benzamid] derivative in the silica. The surface charge of the positively charged NPs was reversed by light irradiation because of a photoreaction in the NB moieties, which impacted the electrostatic interactions between NPs and disassembled the colloidosome nanosystems. This design was successfully applied for the encapsulation and light-triggered release of cargos. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Limiting assumptions in molecular modeling: electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Garland R

2013-02-01

Molecular mechanics attempts to represent intermolecular interactions in terms of classical physics. Initial efforts assumed a point charge located at the atom center and coulombic interactions. It is been recognized over multiple decades that simply representing electrostatics with a charge on each atom failed to reproduce the electrostatic potential surrounding a molecule as estimated by quantum mechanics. Molecular orbitals are not spherically symmetrical, an implicit assumption of monopole electrostatics. This perspective reviews recent evidence that requires use of multipole electrostatics and polarizability in molecular modeling.

An electrostatic beam line for accelerator mass spectroscopy of exotic particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmore, D.; Kubik, P.W.; Hemmick, T.; Teng, R.; Kagan, H.; Haas, P.; Boyd, R.N.; Turner, R.; Nitz, D.; Ciampa, D.; Olsen, S.L.; Gentile, T.; Haelen, T.

1985-01-01

An all-electrostatic charged particle spectrometer has been constructed to perform high sensitivity searches for exotic states of matter. This spectrometer consists of an electrosatic beam line capable of mass independent charged particle transport and selection together with time-of-flight, energy loss and total energy detectors. This system has been used in conjunction with the tandem electrostatic accelerator at the Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory of the University of Rochester to search for fractionally charged or anomalously heavy particles. (orig.)

Electrostatic potential map modelling with COSY Infinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maloney, J.A.; Baartman, R.; Planche, T.; Saminathan, S.

2016-01-01

COSY Infinity (Makino and Berz, 2005) is a differential-algebra based simulation code which allows accurate calculation of transfer maps to arbitrary order. COSY’s existing internal procedures were modified to allow electrostatic elements to be specified using an array of field potential data from the midplane. Additionally, a new procedure was created allowing electrostatic elements and their fringe fields to be specified by an analytic function. This allows greater flexibility in accurately modelling electrostatic elements and their fringe fields. Applied examples of these new procedures are presented including the modelling of a shunted electrostatic multipole designed with OPERA, a spherical electrostatic bender, and the effects of different shaped apertures in an electrostatic beam line.

Atomic and electronic structures of novel silicon surface structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terry, J.H. Jr.

1997-03-01

The modification of silicon surfaces is presently of great interest to the semiconductor device community. Three distinct areas are the subject of inquiry: first, modification of the silicon electronic structure; second, passivation of the silicon surface; and third, functionalization of the silicon surface. It is believed that surface modification of these types will lead to useful electronic devices by pairing these modified surfaces with traditional silicon device technology. Therefore, silicon wafers with modified electronic structure (light-emitting porous silicon), passivated surfaces (H-Si(111), Cl-Si(111), Alkyl-Si(111)), and functionalized surfaces (Alkyl-Si(111)) have been studied in order to determine the fundamental properties of surface geometry and electronic structure using synchrotron radiation-based techniques.

Electrostatics and charge regulation in polyelectrolyte multilayered assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherstvy, Andrey G

2014-05-01

We examine the implications of electrostatic interactions on formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers, in application to field-effect based biosensors for label-free detection of charged macromolecules. We present a quantitative model to describe the experimental potentiometric observations and discuss its possibilities and limitations for detection of polyelectrolyte adsorption. We examine the influence of the ionic strength and pH on the sensor response upon polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer formation. The magnitude of potential oscillations on the sensor-electrolyte interface predicted upon repetitive adsorption charge-alternating polymers agrees satisfactorily with experimental results. The model accounts for different screening by mobile ions in electrolyte and inside tightly interdigitated multilayered structure. In particular, we show that sensors' potential oscillations are larger and more persistent at lower salt conditions, while they decay faster with the number of layers at higher salt conditions, in agreement with experiments. The effects of polyelectrolyte layer thickness, substrate potential, and charge regulation on the sensor surface triggered by layer-by-layer deposition are also analyzed.

Characterization of sliders for efficient force generation of electrostatically controlled linear actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, T A; Konishi, S

2014-01-01

In this paper, the characterization of sliders for efficient force generation of an electrostatically controlled linear actuator (ECLIA) is investigated. The ECLIA consists of a piezoactuator (PZT), driving and holding electrodes, multiple sliders and a guide structure. The stepping motion of the sliders is driven by the PZT actuator via an electrostatic clutch mechanism. Thus, multiple sliders can achieve parallel, independent, precise motion, and a large stroke. Previous studies have indicated that the Si bulk slider and Si electrode created an air gap owing to the deformation of the Si electrode. Thus, the Si slider generated a low pushing force. In this study, we propose a fishbone structure mounted on a flexible slider to enhance the pushing force of the slider. The flexible slider, that can deform and fit into the Si electrode to reduce the air gap, results in highly efficient electrostatic-force generation. The fishbone structure improves the longitudinal stiffness of the flexible slider for high pushing-force generation. The results show that the pushing force created by the fishbone slider was three times greater than that of the conventional Si slider. The fishbone and flexible sliders exhibited a high performance for the ECLIA. (paper)

Analysis of an Electrostatic MEMS Squeeze-film Drop Ejector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward P. Furlani

2009-10-01

Full Text Available We present an analysis of an electrostatic drop-on-demand MEMS fluid ejector. The ejector consists of a microfluidic chamber with a piston that is suspended a few microns beneath a nozzle plate. A drop is ejected when a voltage is applied between the orifice plate and the piston. This produces an electrostatic force that moves the piston towards the nozzle. The moving piston generates a squeeze-film pressure distribution that causes drop ejection. We discuss the operating physics of the ejector and present a lumped-element model for predicting its performance. We calibrate the model using coupled structural-fluidic CFD analysis.

Characterization of zonal flow generation in weak electrostatic turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negrea, M; Petrisor, I; Weyssow, B

2008-01-01

The influence of the diamagnetic Kubo number, which is proportional to the diamagnetic drift velocity, on the zonal flow generation by an anisotropic stochastic electrostatic potential is considered from a semi-analytic point of view. The analysis is performed in the weak turbulence limit and as an analytical tool the decorrelation trajectory method is used. It is shown that the fragmentation of the drift wave structures (a signature of the zonal flow generation) is influenced not only by the anisotropy parameter and the electrostatic Kubo number as expected, but also by the diamagnetic Kubo number. Global Lagrangian averages of characteristic quantities are calculated and interpreted

Finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in thin semiconductor specimens for electron holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Somodi, P K; Twitchett-Harrison, A C; Midgley, P A; Kardynał, B E; Barnes, C H W; Dunin-Borkowski, R E

2013-11-01

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in parallel-sided semiconductor specimens that contain p-n junctions are used to assess the effect of the electrical state of the surface of a thin specimen on projected potentials measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. For a specimen that is constrained to have an equipotential surface, the simulations show that the step in the projected potential across a p-n junction is always lower than would be predicted from the properties of the bulk device, but is relatively insensitive to the value of the surface state energy, especially for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. The depletion width measured from the projected potential, however, has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness. The results of the simulations are of broader interest for understanding the influence of surfaces and interfaces on electrostatic potentials in nanoscale semiconductor devices. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of ultrasonic electrostatic microjets for distributed propulsion and microflight

Science.gov (United States)

Amirparviz, Babak

This dissertation details the first attempt to design and fabricate a distributed micro propulsion system based on acoustic streaming. A novel micro propulsion method is suggested by combining Helmholtz resonance, acoustic streaming and flow entrainment and thrust augmentation. In this method, oscillatory motion of an electrostatically actuated diaphragm creates a high frequency acoustic field inside the cavity of a Helmholtz resonator. The initial fluid motion velocity is amplified by the Helmholtz resonator structure and creates a jet flow at the exit nozzle. Acoustic streaming is the phenomenon responsible for primary jet stream creation. Primary jets produced by a few resonators can be combined in an ejector configuration to induce flow entrainment and thrust augmentation. Basic governing equations for the electrostatic actuator, deformation of the diaphragm and the fluid flow inside the resonator are derived. These equations are linearized and used to derive an equivalent electrical circuit model for the operation of the device. Numerical solution of the governing equations and simulation of the circuit model are used to predict the performance of the experimental systems. Thrust values as high as 30.3muN are expected per resonator. A micro machined electrostatically-driven high frequency Helmholtz resonator prototype is designed and fabricated. A new micro fabrication technique is developed for bulk micromachining and in particular fabrication of the resonator. Geometric stops for wet anisotropic etching of silicon are introduced for the fist time for structure formation. Arrays of high frequency (>60kHz) micro Helmholtz resonators are fabricated. In one sample more than 1000 resonators cover the surface of a four-inch silicon wafer and in effect convert it to a distributed propulsion system. A high yield (>85%) micro fabrication process is presented for realization of this propulsion system taking advantage of newly developed deep glass micromachining and

Advances in electrostatic accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wegner, H.E.

1975-01-01

Advances in the design and performance of electrostatic accelerators since 1969 are reviewed with special emphasis on the ''forefront'' accelerators that are currently leading in voltage capability. A comparison of the acceleration tube design offered by the National Electrostatics Corporation and the High Voltage Engineering Corporation is also made. Other methods of increasing heavy ion energy by means of dual foil stripping are discussed as well as the performance of a newly developed sputter ion source for the production of negative heavy ions with reliability and flexibility that greatly exceeds all other present systems. Finally, new developments in terms of both booster systems and very high voltage electrostatic accelerators (25 to 60 MV) are discussed. (U.S.)

Driving electrostatic transducers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Dennis; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2013-01-01

Electrostatic transducers represent a very interesting alternative to the traditional inefficient electrodynamic transducers. In order to establish the full potential of these transducers, power amplifiers which fulfill the strict requirements imposed by such loads (high impedance, frequency...... depended, nonlinear and high bias voltage for linearization) must be developed. This paper analyzes power stages and bias configurations suitable for driving an electrostatic transducer. Measurement results of a 300 V prototype amplifier are shown. Measuring THD across a high impedance source is discussed...

The role of substrate electrons in the wetting of a metal surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiros, T.; Takahashi, O.; Andersson, Klas Jerker

2010-01-01

We address how the electronic and geometric structures of metal surfaces determine water-metal bonding by affecting the balance between Pauli repulsion and electrostatic attraction. We show how the rigid d-electrons and the softer s-electrons utilize different mechanisms for the redistribution...

2D Electrostatic Actuation of Microshutter Arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Devin E.; Oh, Lance H.; Li, Mary J.; Jones, Justin S.; Kelly, Daniel P.; Zheng, Yun; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Moseley, Samuel H.

2015-01-01

An electrostatically actuated microshutter array consisting of rotational microshutters (shutters that rotate about a torsion bar) were designed and fabricated through the use of models and experiments. Design iterations focused on minimizing the torsional stiffness of the microshutters, while maintaining their structural integrity. Mechanical and electromechanical test systems were constructed to measure the static and dynamic behavior of the microshutters. The torsional stiffness was reduced by a factor of four over initial designs without sacrificing durability. Analysis of the resonant behavior of the microshutter arrays demonstrates that the first resonant mode is a torsional mode occurring around 3000 Hz. At low vacuum pressures, this resonant mode can be used to significantly reduce the drive voltage necessary for actuation requiring as little as 25V. 2D electrostatic latching and addressing was demonstrated using both a resonant and pulsed addressing scheme.

Electrostatics-driven shape transitions in soft shells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jadhao, Vikram; Thomas, Creighton K; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica

2014-09-02

Manipulating the shape of nanoscale objects in a controllable fashion is at the heart of designing materials that act as building blocks for self-assembly or serve as targeted drug delivery carriers. Inducing shape deformations by controlling external parameters is also an important way of designing biomimetic membranes. In this paper, we demonstrate that electrostatics can be used as a tool to manipulate the shape of soft, closed membranes by tuning environmental conditions such as the electrolyte concentration in the medium. Using a molecular dynamics-based simulated annealing procedure, we investigate charged elastic shells that do not exchange material with their environment, such as elastic membranes formed in emulsions or synthetic nanocontainers. We find that by decreasing the salt concentration or increasing the total charge on the shell's surface, the spherical symmetry is broken, leading to the formation of ellipsoids, discs, and bowls. Shape changes are accompanied by a significant lowering of the electrostatic energy and a rise in the surface area of the shell. To substantiate our simulation findings, we show analytically that a uniformly charged disc has a lower Coulomb energy than a sphere of the same volume. Further, we test the robustness of our results by including the effects of charge renormalization in the analysis of the shape transitions and find the latter to be feasible for a wide range of shell volume fractions.

A Humidity Sensor Based on Silver Nanoparticles Thin Film Prepared by Electrostatic Spray Deposition Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thutiyaporn Thiwawong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this work, thin film of silver nanoparticles for humidity sensor application was deposited by electrostatic spray deposition technique. The influence of the deposition times on properties of films was studied. The crystal structures of sample films, their surface morphology, and optical properties have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, and UV-VIS spectrophotometer, respectively. The crystalline structure of silver nanoparticles thin film was found in the orientation of (100 and (200 planes of cubic structure at diffraction angles 2θ  =  38.2° and 44.3°, respectively. Moreover, the silver nanoparticles thin films humidity sensor was fabricated onto the interdigitated electrodes. The sensor exhibited the humidity adsorption and desorption properties. The sensing mechanisms of the device were also elucidated by complex impedance analysis.

Protein-protein interactions in paralogues: Electrostatics modulates specificity on a conserved steric scaffold.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan M Ivanov

Full Text Available An improved knowledge of protein-protein interactions is essential for better understanding of metabolic and signaling networks, and cellular function. Progress tends to be based on structure determination and predictions using known structures, along with computational methods based on evolutionary information or detailed atomistic descriptions. We hypothesized that for the case of interactions across a common interface, between proteins from a pair of paralogue families or within a family of paralogues, a relatively simple interface description could distinguish between binding and non-binding pairs. Using binding data for several systems, and large-scale comparative modeling based on known template complex structures, it is found that charge-charge interactions (for groups bearing net charge are generally a better discriminant than buried non-polar surface. This is particularly the case for paralogue families that are less divergent, with more reliable comparative modeling. We suggest that electrostatic interactions are major determinants of specificity in such systems, an observation that could be used to predict binding partners.

Protein-protein interactions in paralogues: Electrostatics modulates specificity on a conserved steric scaffold.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, Stefan M; Cawley, Andrew; Huber, Roland G; Bond, Peter J; Warwicker, Jim

2017-01-01

An improved knowledge of protein-protein interactions is essential for better understanding of metabolic and signaling networks, and cellular function. Progress tends to be based on structure determination and predictions using known structures, along with computational methods based on evolutionary information or detailed atomistic descriptions. We hypothesized that for the case of interactions across a common interface, between proteins from a pair of paralogue families or within a family of paralogues, a relatively simple interface description could distinguish between binding and non-binding pairs. Using binding data for several systems, and large-scale comparative modeling based on known template complex structures, it is found that charge-charge interactions (for groups bearing net charge) are generally a better discriminant than buried non-polar surface. This is particularly the case for paralogue families that are less divergent, with more reliable comparative modeling. We suggest that electrostatic interactions are major determinants of specificity in such systems, an observation that could be used to predict binding partners.

Electrostatic phenomena in volcanic eruptions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lane, S J; James, M R; Gilbert, J S, E-mail: s.lane@lancaster.ac.uk [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom)

2011-06-23

Electrostatic phenomena have long been associated with the explosive eruption of volcanoes. Lightning generated in volcanic plumes is a spectacular atmospheric electrical event that requires development of large potential gradients over distances of up to kilometres. This process begins as hydrated liquid rock (magma) ascends towards Earth's surface. Pressure reduction causes water supersaturation in the magma and the development of bubbles of supercritical water, where deeper than c. 1000 m, and water vapour at shallower depths that drives flow expansion. The generation of high strain rates in the expanding bubbly magma can cause it to fracture in a brittle manner, as deformation relaxation timescales are exceeded. The brittle fracture provides the initial charge separation mechanism, known as fractoemission. The resulting mixture of charged silicate particles and ions evolves over time, generating macro-scale potential gradients in the atmosphere and driving processes such as particle aggregation. For the silicate particles, aggregation driven by electrostatic effects is most significant for particles smaller than c. 100 {mu}m. Aggregation acts to change the effective aerodynamic behaviour of silicate particles, thus altering the sedimentation rates of particles from volcanic plumes from the atmosphere. The presence of liquid phases also promotes aggregation processes and lightning.

The contribution of the electrostatic proximity force to atomic force microscopy with insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanley Czarnecki, W.; Schein, L.B.

2005-01-01

Measurements, using atomic force microscopy, of the force and force derivative on a charged insulating micron sized sphere as a function of gap between the sphere and a conductive plane have revealed attractive forces at finite gaps that are larger than predicted by either van der Waals or conventional electrostatic forces. We suggest that these observations may be due to an electrostatic force that we have identified theoretically and call the proximity force. This proximity force is due to the discrete charges on the surface of the sphere in close proximity to the plane

The contribution of the electrostatic proximity force to atomic force microscopy with insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stanley Czarnecki, W. [Aetas Technology Corporation, P.O. Box 53398, Irvine, CA 92619-3398 (United States); IBM Corporation, 5600 Cottle Rd., Building 13, San Jose, CA 95193 (United States); Schein, L.B. [Aetas Technology Corporation, P.O. Box 53398, Irvine, CA 92619-3398 (United States)]. E-mail: schein@prodigy.net

2005-05-16

Measurements, using atomic force microscopy, of the force and force derivative on a charged insulating micron sized sphere as a function of gap between the sphere and a conductive plane have revealed attractive forces at finite gaps that are larger than predicted by either van der Waals or conventional electrostatic forces. We suggest that these observations may be due to an electrostatic force that we have identified theoretically and call the proximity force. This proximity force is due to the discrete charges on the surface of the sphere in close proximity to the plane.

Electrostatic interactions between immunoglobulin (IgG) molecules and a charged sorbent

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bremer, M.G.E.G.; Duval, J.; Norde, Willem; Lyklema, J.

2004-01-01

The influence of electrostatic interactions on the adsorption of IgG is examined both theoretically and experimentally. The long-range interaction between IgG and the charged sorbent surface is treated in terms of the DLVO theory taking into account the possibility of charge- and potential

Electrode configuration effects on the electrification and voltage variation in an electrostatic inkjet printing head

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kyung Hyun; Ali, Adnan; Rahman, Ahsan; Malik Mohammad, Nauman; Rahman, Khalid; Khan, Arshad; Khan, Saleem; Kim, D S

2010-01-01

The electrode configuration of an electrostatic inkjet printing head is under study. This paper introduces the development of a new electrostatic inkjet head with an improved electrode configuration as compared to the conventional configuration. Two tungsten electrodes, connected in parallel, are inserted into the electrostatic print head at a certain angle from opposite sides. The aim of this double-side inserted angular electrodes (DSIAEs) head is to intensify the electrification of the fluid inside the head at minimum suitable exposure of the electrode, which results in maximizing surface charge density. The main advantage of the DSIAEs head is to get a very stable meniscus at low applied voltage for printing. This stable meniscus is transformed to a very stable jet by increasing the applied voltage. Therefore, printed patterns obtained with this DSIAEs head are more uniform because of a more stable meniscus and jet as compared to a conventional electrostatic vertically inserted single electrode head. Also, with this DSIAEs configuration, the life of the electrostatic inkjet printing head is increased.

Electrical operation of electrostatic precipitators

CERN Document Server

Parker, Ken

2003-01-01

The electrostatic precipitator remains on of the most cost effective means of controlling the emission of particulates from most industrial processes. This book will be of interest to both users and suppliers of electrostatic precipitators as well as advanced students on environmental based courses. The author identifies the physical and engineering basis for the development of electrical equipment for electrostatic precipitators and thoroughly explores the technological factors which optimize the efficiency of the precipitator and hence minimize emissions, as well as future developments in th

Thermophysical Properties of Molten Silicon Measured by JPL High Temperature Electrostatic Levitator

Science.gov (United States)

Rhim, W. K.; Ohsaka, K.

1999-01-01

Five thermophysical properties of molten silicon measured by the High Temperature Electrostatic Levitator (HTESL) at JPL are presented. The properties measured are the density, the constant pressure specific heat capacity, the hemispherical total emissivity, the surface tension and the viscosity.

Thermophysical Properties of Molten Germanium Measured by the High Temperature Electrostatic Levitator

Science.gov (United States)

Rhim, W. K.; Ishikawa, T.

1998-01-01

Thermophysical properties of molten germanium such as the density, the thermal expansion coefficient, the hemisphereical total emissivity, the constant pressure specific heat capacity, the surface tension, and the electrical resistivity have been measured using the High Temperature Electrostatic Levitator at JPL.

Secondary structure and lipid interactions of the N-terminal segment of pulmonary surfactant SP-C in Langmuir films: IR reflection-absorption spectroscopy and surface pressure studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bi, Xiaohong; Flach, Carol R; Pérez-Gil, Jesus

2002-01-01

reversibly with surface pressure (pi), suggestive of the peptide being squeezed out from hydrophobic regions of the monolayer. No such effect was observed for DPPG/peptide monolayers, indicative of stronger, probably electrostatic, interactions. Depalmitoylation produced a weakened interaction with either...... phospholipid as deduced from IRRAS spectra and from pi-area isotherms. S-Palmitoylation may modulate peptide hydration and conformation in the N-terminal region of SP-C and may thus permit the peptide to remain in the film at the high surface pressures present during lung compression. The unique capability...... of IRRAS to detect the surface pressure dependence of protein or peptide structure/interactions in a physiologically relevant model for surfactant is clearly demonstrated. Udgivelsesdato: 2002-Jul-2...

Electrostatic septum, SPS

CERN Multimedia

1975-01-01

To minimize losses during slow extraction towards N- and W-Areas, electrostatic septa in long straight sections 2 an 6 precede the magnetic septa. The 2 electrode plates, visible at the entrance to the septum, provide a vertical electric field to remove the ions created by the circulating beam in the residual gas. Here we see one of the electrostatic septa being assembled by Faustin Emery (left) and Jacques Soubeyran (right), in the clean room of building 867. See also 7501199, 7501201, 7801286 and further explanations there.

Explosion safety in industrial electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Szabó, S. V.; Kiss, I.; Berta, I.

2011-01-01

Complicated industrial systems are often endangered by electrostatic hazards, both from atmospheric (lightning phenomenon, primary and secondary lightning protection) and industrial (technological problems caused by static charging and fire and explosion hazards.) According to the classical approach protective methods have to be used in order to remove electrostatic charging and to avoid damages, however no attempt to compute the risk before and after applying the protective method is made, relying instead on well-educated and practiced expertise. The Budapest School of Electrostatics - in close cooperation with industrial partners - develops new suitable solutions for probability based decision support (Static Control Up-to-date Technology, SCOUT) using soft computing methods. This new approach can be used to assess and audit existing systems and - using the predictive power of the models - to design and plan activities in industrial electrostatics.

Multiple protonation equilibria in electrostatics of protein-protein binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Piłat, Zofia; Antosiewicz, Jan M

2008-11-27

All proteins contain groups capable of exchanging protons with their environment. We present here an approach, based on a rigorous thermodynamic cycle and the partition functions for energy levels characterizing protonation states of the associating proteins and their complex, to compute the electrostatic pH-dependent contribution to the free energy of protein-protein binding. The computed electrostatic binding free energies include the pH of the solution as the variable of state, mutual "polarization" of associating proteins reflected as changes in the distribution of their protonation states upon binding and fluctuations between available protonation states. The only fixed property of both proteins is the conformation; the structure of the monomers is kept in the same conformation as they have in the complex structure. As a reference, we use the electrostatic binding free energies obtained from the traditional Poisson-Boltzmann model, computed for a single macromolecular conformation fixed in a given protonation state, appropriate for given solution conditions. The new approach was tested for 12 protein-protein complexes. It is shown that explicit inclusion of protonation degrees of freedom might lead to a substantially different estimation of the electrostatic contribution to the binding free energy than that based on the traditional Poisson-Boltzmann model. This has important implications for the balancing of different contributions to the energetics of protein-protein binding and other related problems, for example, the choice of protein models for Brownian dynamics simulations of their association. Our procedure can be generalized to include conformational degrees of freedom by combining it with molecular dynamics simulations at constant pH. Unfortunately, in practice, a prohibitive factor is an enormous requirement for computer time and power. However, there may be some hope for solving this problem by combining existing constant pH molecular dynamics

On real structures on rigid surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulikov, Vik S; Kharlamov, V M

2002-01-01

We construct examples of rigid surfaces (that is, surfaces whose deformation class consists of a unique surface) with a particular behaviour with respect to real structures. In one example the surface has no real structure. In another it has a unique real structure, which is not maximal with respect to the Smith-Thom inequality. These examples give negative answers to the following problems: the existence of real surfaces in each deformation class of complex surfaces, and the existence of maximal real surfaces in every complex deformation class that contains real surfaces. Moreover, we prove that there are no real surfaces among surfaces of general type with p g =q=0 and K 2 =9. These surfaces also provide new counterexamples to the 'Dif = Def' problem

Nitrile bonds as infrared probes of electrostatics in ribonuclease S.

Science.gov (United States)

Fafarman, Aaron T; Boxer, Steven G

2010-10-28

Three different nitrile-containing amino acids, p-cyanophenylalanine, m-cyanophenylalanine, and S-cyanohomocysteine, have been introduced near the active site of the semisynthetic enzyme ribonuclease S (RNase S) to serve as probes of electrostatic fields. Vibrational Stark spectra, measured directly on the probe-modified proteins, confirm the predominance of the linear Stark tuning rate in describing the sensitivity of the nitrile stretch to external electric fields, a necessary property for interpreting observed frequency shifts as a quantitative measure of local electric fields that can be compared with simulations. The X-ray structures of these nitrile-modified RNase variants and enzymatic assays demonstrate minimal perturbation to the structure and function, respectively, by the probes and provide a context for understanding the influence of the environment on the nitrile stretching frequency. We examine the ability of simulation techniques to recapitulate the spectroscopic properties of these nitriles as a means to directly test a computational electrostatic model for proteins, specifically that in the ubiquitous Amber-99 force field. Although qualitative agreement between theory and experiment is observed for the largest shifts, substantial discrepancies are observed in some cases, highlighting the ongoing need for experimental metrics to inform the development of theoretical models of electrostatic fields in proteins.

Physical properties of molten core materials: Zr-Ni and Zr-Cr alloys measured by electrostatic levitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohishi, Yuji, E-mail: ohishi@see.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Kondo, Toshiki [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Ishikawa, Takehiko [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan); SOKEN-DAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies) (Japan); Okada, Junpei T. [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University (Japan); Watanabe, Yuki [Advanced Engineering Services Co. Ltd. (Japan); Muta, Hiroaki; Kurosaki, Ken [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Yamanaka, Shinsuke [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Research Institute of Nuclear Engineering, University of Fukui (Japan)

2017-03-15

It is important to understand the behaviors of molten core materials to investigate the progression of a core meltdown accident. In the early stages of bundle degradation, low-melting-temperature liquid phases are expected to form via the eutectic reaction between Zircaloy and stainless steel. The main component of Zircaloy is Zr and those of stainless steel are Fe, Ni, and Cr. Our group has previously reported physical property data such as viscosity, density, and surface tension for Zr-Fe liquid alloys using an electrostatic levitation technique. In this study, we report the viscosity, density, and surface tension of Zr-Ni and Zr-Cr liquid alloys (Zr{sub 1-x}Ni{sub x} (x = 0.12 and 0.24) and Zr{sub 0.77}Cr{sub 0.23}) using the electrostatic levitation technique. - Highlights: • The physical properties of Zr-Ni and Zr-Cr liquid alloys have been measured Zr{sub 1-x}Ni{sub x} (x = 0.12 and 0.24) and Zr{sub 77}Cr{sub 23}. • The measurement was conducted using the electrostatic levitation technique. • The density, viscosity, and surface tension of each liquid alloy were measured.

Physical properties of molten core materials: Zr-Ni and Zr-Cr alloys measured by electrostatic levitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohishi, Yuji; Kondo, Toshiki; Ishikawa, Takehiko; Okada, Junpei T.; Watanabe, Yuki; Muta, Hiroaki; Kurosaki, Ken; Yamanaka, Shinsuke

2017-01-01

It is important to understand the behaviors of molten core materials to investigate the progression of a core meltdown accident. In the early stages of bundle degradation, low-melting-temperature liquid phases are expected to form via the eutectic reaction between Zircaloy and stainless steel. The main component of Zircaloy is Zr and those of stainless steel are Fe, Ni, and Cr. Our group has previously reported physical property data such as viscosity, density, and surface tension for Zr-Fe liquid alloys using an electrostatic levitation technique. In this study, we report the viscosity, density, and surface tension of Zr-Ni and Zr-Cr liquid alloys (Zr 1-x Ni x (x = 0.12 and 0.24) and Zr 0.77 Cr 0.23 ) using the electrostatic levitation technique. - Highlights: • The physical properties of Zr-Ni and Zr-Cr liquid alloys have been measured Zr 1-x Ni x (x = 0.12 and 0.24) and Zr 77 Cr 23 . • The measurement was conducted using the electrostatic levitation technique. • The density, viscosity, and surface tension of each liquid alloy were measured.

Preconceptual design for the electrostatic enclosure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, L.C.

1992-09-01

This report presents a preconceptual design (design criteria and assumptions) for electrostatic enclosures to be used during buried transuranic waste recovery operations. These electrostatic enclosures (along with the application of dust control products) will provide an in-depth contamination control strategy. As part of this preconceptual design, options for electrostatic curtain design are given including both hardwall and fabric enclosures. Ventilation systems, doors, air locks, electrostatic curtains, and supporting systems also are discussed. In addition to the conceptual design, engineering scale tests are proposed to be run at the Test Reactor Area. The planned engineering scale tests will give final material specifications for full-scale retrieval demonstrations

Electrostatic interactions in protein adsorption probed by comparing lysozyme and succinylated lysozyme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veen, van der M.; Norde, W.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.

2004-01-01

The influence of electrostatic interactions on protein adsorption was studied by comparing the adsorption of lysozyme and succinylated lysozyme at silica surfaces. The succinylation affects the charge of the protein, but also the stability. Although changes in stability can have an influence on

Surface electrostatics: theory and computations

KAUST Repository

Chatzigeorgiou, G.; Javili, A.; Steinmann, P.

2014-01-01

are also expressed in a consistent manner. The theory is accompanied by numerical examples on porous materials using the finite-element method, where the influence of the surface electric permittivity on the electric displacement, the polarization stress

Numerical study of droplet evaporation in coupled high-temperature and electrostatic fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziwen Zuo

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The evaporation of a sessile water droplet under the coupled electrostatic and high-temperature fields is studied numerically. The leaky dielectric model and boiling point evaporation model are used for calculating the electric force and heat mass transfer. The free surface is captured using the volume of fluid method accounting for the variable surface tension and the transition of physical properties across the interface. The flow behaviors and temperature evolutions in different applied fields are predicted. It shows that in the coupled fields, the external electrostatic field restrains the flow inside the droplet and keeps a steady circulation. The flow velocity is reduced due to the interaction between electric body force and the force caused by temperature gradient. The heat transfer from air into the droplet is reduced by the lower flow velocity. The evaporation rate of the droplet in the high-temperature field is decreased.

Film Thickness Formation in Nanoscale due to Effects of Elastohydrodynamic, Electrostatic and Surface force of Solvation and Van der Waals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.F. Abd Al-Samieh

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The mechanism of oil film with a thickness in the nanoscale is discussed in this paper. A polar lubricant of propylene carbonate is used as the intervening liquid between contiguous bodies in concentrated contacts. A pressure caused by the hydrodynamic viscous action in addition to double layer electrostatic force, Van der Waals inter-molecular forces, and solvation pressure due to inter-surface forces is considered in calculating the ultrathin lubricating films. The numerical solution has been carried out, using the Newton-Raphson iteration technique, applied for the convergence of the hydrodynamic pressure. The results show that, at separations beyond about five molecular diameters of the intervening liquid, the formation of a lubricant film thickness is governed by combined effects of viscous action and surface force of an attractive Van der Waals force and a repulsive double layer force. At smaller separations below about five molecular diameters of the intervening liquid, the effect of solvation force is dominant in determining the oil film thickness

Fuel composition effect on the electrostatically-driven atomization of bio-butanol containing engine fuel blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agathou, Maria S.; Kyritsis, Dimitrios C.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Sprays of alcohol-containing blends are amenable to electrostatic manipulation. ► Monodispersion is non-achievable for conditions pertaining to automotive applications. ► Electrical conductivity and surface tension do not determine fully the spray behavior. ► Non-dimensional analysis was performed to classify flow regimes for each blend. ► We numbers revealed the possibility of droplet secondary break-up. - Abstract: Electrostatically assisted sprays of three fuel blends of bio-butanol, ethanol and heptane were studied experimentally. Mixture composition was selected such that electrical conductivity and surface tension were kept constant for all three mixtures. In this manner, the effect of fuel composition was investigated in a context that broadens the classical focus on the effective decrease of surface tension through the action of electrostatic fields. High-speed visualization was used in order to capture e-spray morphology. In addition, probability density functions of the e-spray droplet size and velocity were measured using Phase-Doppler Anemometry for a variety of flow rates and applied voltages. The dependence of droplet average diameter on both flow rate and applied electric field was highlighted. Polydisperse sprays were observed which was rationalized through the calculation of droplet Weber numbers that pointed to the possibility of a secondary droplet break-up.

Electrostatic energy of KHF2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gool, W. van; Bruinink, J.; Bottelberghs, P.H.

1972-01-01

Electrostatic lattice energies are calculated in KHF2. Fractional charges occurring in the complex anions are treated with a general procedure and the results are compared to a specialized approach reported earlier. Interstitial potentials are calculated to obtain the electrostatic field through

On real structures on rigid surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kulikov, Vik S [Steklov Mathematical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (Russian Federation); Kharlamov, V M [Institut de Recherche Matematique Avanee Universite Louis Pasteur et CNRS 7 rue Rene Descartes (France)

2002-02-28

We construct examples of rigid surfaces (that is, surfaces whose deformation class consists of a unique surface) with a particular behaviour with respect to real structures. In one example the surface has no real structure. In another it has a unique real structure, which is not maximal with respect to the Smith-Thom inequality. These examples give negative answers to the following problems: the existence of real surfaces in each deformation class of complex surfaces, and the existence of maximal real surfaces in every complex deformation class that contains real surfaces. Moreover, we prove that there are no real surfaces among surfaces of general type with p{sub g}=q=0 and K{sup 2}=9. These surfaces also provide new counterexamples to the 'Dif = Def' problem.

Repetitive control of an electrostatic microbridge actuator: theory and simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Haiyu; Rahn, Christopher D

2010-01-01

Electrostatic microactuators are used extensively in MEMS sensors, RF switches and microfluidic pumps. The high bandwidth operation required by these applications complicates the implementation of feedback controllers. This paper designs, proves stability and simulates a feedforward repetitive controller for an electrostatic microbridge. High residual stress creates tension in the microbridge that dominates bending stiffness so a pinned string model with uniform electrostatic force loading is used for model-based control. The control objective is to force the microbridge displacement to follow prescribed spatial and periodic time trajectories. Viscous damping ensures boundedness of the distributed transverse displacement in response to bounded inputs. The average displacement is measured by capacitive sensing and processed offline using a repetitive control algorithm that updates a high speed waveform generator's parameters. Simulations show that the performance depends on the amount of damping. With less than 1% damping in a representative microbridge structure, repetitive control reduces the midspan displacement overshoot by 83%

Electrostatics of aquaporin and aquaglyceroporin channels correlates with their transport selectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Oliva, Romina; Calamita, Giuseppe; Thornton, Janet M.; Pellegrini-Calace, Marialuisa

2010-01-01

Aquaporins are homotetrameric channel proteins, which allow the diffusion of water and small solutes across biological membranes. According to their transport function, aquaporins can be divided into “orthodox aquaporins”, which allow the flux of water molecules only, and “aquaglyceroporins”, which facilitate the diffusion of glycerol and other small solutes in addition to water. The contribution of individual residues in the pore to the selectivity of orthodox aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins is not yet fully understood. To gain insights into aquaporin selectivity, we focused on the sequence variation and electrostatics of their channels. The continuum Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic potential along the channel was calculated and compared for ten three-dimensional-structures which are representatives of different aquaporin subfamilies, and a panel of functionally characterized mutants, for which high-accuracy three-dimensional-models could be derived. Interestingly, specific electrostatic profiles associated with the main selectivity to water or glycerol could be identified. In particular: (i) orthodox aquaporins showed a distinctive electrostatic potential maximum at the periplasmic side of the channel around the aromatic/Arg (ar/R) constriction site; (ii) aquaporin-0 (AQP0), a mammalian aquaporin with considerably low water permeability, had an additional deep minimum at the cytoplasmic side; (iii) aquaglyceroporins showed a rather flat potential all along the channel; and (iv) the bifunctional protozoan PfAQP had an unusual all negative profile. Evaluation of electrostatics of the mutants, along with a thorough sequence analysis of the aquaporin pore-lining residues, illuminated the contribution of specific residues to the electrostatics of the channels and possibly to their selectivity. PMID:20147624

Reintroducing Electrostatics into Macromolecular Crystallographic Refinement: Application to Neutron Crystallography and DNA Hydration

OpenAIRE

Fenn, Timothy D.; Schnieders, Michael J.; Mustyakimov, Marat; Wu, Chuanjie; Langan, Paul; Pande, Vijay S.; Brunger, Axel T.

2011-01-01

Most current crystallographic structure refinements augment the diffraction data with a priori information consisting of bond, angle, dihedral, planarity restraints and atomic repulsion based on the Pauli exclusion principle. Yet, electrostatics and van der Waals attraction are physical forces that provide additional a priori information. Here we assess the inclusion of electrostatics for the force field used for all-atom (including hydrogen) joint neutron/X-ray refinement. Two DNA and a prot...

Electrostatic Properties and Characterization of Textile Materials Affected by Ion Flux

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pranas Juozas ŽILINSKAS

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This work analyzes the opportunities of wider characterization of textile materials, fabrics, upholstery fabrics, fibers, yarns or others, which may accumulate electric charge. A non-contact way for electrostatic properties measurement based on affecting those materials by ions with positive or negative charge is described. The method allows to measure simultaneously the time dependences of the surface voltage and the electric charge during the charging process and the time dependences of the surface voltage during the discharging process. From the measured dependencies the following set of parameters was measured or calculated: the surface voltage limiting value, the surface voltage semi-decay time, the maximum deposited charge, the layer capacitance, the energy of the accumulated charge and others. The surface voltage distribution measurement method when the investigated textile material is affected by ion flux was also described. To verify the applicability of the proposed methods for characterization of textile materials in order to determine the above-mentioned parameters of cotton, linen, wool, viscose, acetate, polyester, polyester coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, a series of experiments were performed. The surface voltage distribution measurement method based on affecting textile materials by ions with positive charge was described and a surface voltage distribution of a polyester-cotton upholstery fabric produced by a Jacquard mechanism was presented. The performed experiments demonstrate the possibilities of method application for comparison of the electrostatic properties of different textile materials used for the same tasks or the same materials produced by different technological processes.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.1.3828

Isolated electrostatic structures observed throughout the Cluster orbit: relationship to magnetic field strength

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. S. Pickett

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Isolated electrostatic structures are observed throughout much of the 4R_E by 19.6R_E Cluster orbit. These structures are observed in the Wideband plasma wave instrument's waveform data as bipolar pulses (one positive and one negative peak in the electric field amplitude and tripolar pulses (two positive and one negative peak, or vice versa. These structures are observed at all of the boundary layers, in the solar wind and magnetosheath, and along auroral field lines at 4.5-6.5R_E. Using the Wideband waveform data from the various Cluster spacecraft we have carried out a survey of the amplitudes and time durations of these structures and how these quantities vary with the local magnetic field strength. Such a survey has not been carried out before, and it reveals certain characteristics of solitary structures in a finite magnetic field, a topic still inadequately addressed by theories. We find that there is a broad range of electric field amplitudes at any specific magnetic field strength, and there is a general trend for the electric field amplitudes to increase as the strength of the magnetic field increases over a range of 5 to 500nT. We provide a possible explanation for this trend that relates to the structures being Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal mode solitary waves. There is no corresponding dependence of the duration of the structures on the magnetic field strength, although a plot of these two quantities reveals the unexpected result that with the exception of the magnetosheath, all of the time durations for all of the other regions are comparable, whereas the magnetosheath time durations clearly are in a different category of much smaller time duration. We speculate that this implies that the structures are much smaller in size. The distinctly different pulse durations for the magnetosheath pulses indicate the possibility that the pulses are generated by a mechanism which is different

Isolated electrostatic structures observed throughout the Cluster orbit: relationship to magnetic field strength

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. S. Pickett

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Isolated electrostatic structures are observed throughout much of the 4RE by 19.6RE Cluster orbit. These structures are observed in the Wideband plasma wave instrument's waveform data as bipolar pulses (one positive and one negative peak in the electric field amplitude and tripolar pulses (two positive and one negative peak, or vice versa. These structures are observed at all of the boundary layers, in the solar wind and magnetosheath, and along auroral field lines at 4.5-6.5RE. Using the Wideband waveform data from the various Cluster spacecraft we have carried out a survey of the amplitudes and time durations of these structures and how these quantities vary with the local magnetic field strength. Such a survey has not been carried out before, and it reveals certain characteristics of solitary structures in a finite magnetic field, a topic still inadequately addressed by theories. We find that there is a broad range of electric field amplitudes at any specific magnetic field strength, and there is a general trend for the electric field amplitudes to increase as the strength of the magnetic field increases over a range of 5 to 500nT. We provide a possible explanation for this trend that relates to the structures being Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal mode solitary waves. There is no corresponding dependence of the duration of the structures on the magnetic field strength, although a plot of these two quantities reveals the unexpected result that with the exception of the magnetosheath, all of the time durations for all of the other regions are comparable, whereas the magnetosheath time durations clearly are in a different category of much smaller time duration. We speculate that this implies that the structures are much smaller in size. The distinctly different pulse durations for the magnetosheath pulses indicate the possibility that the pulses are generated by a mechanism which is different from the mechanism operating in other regions.

Electrostatic correlations: from plasma to biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, Yan

2002-01-01

Electrostatic correlations play an important role in physics, chemistry and biology. In plasmas they result in thermodynamic instability similar to the liquid-gas phase transition of simple molecular fluids. For charged colloidal suspensions the electrostatic correlations are responsible for screening and colloidal charge renormalization. In aqueous solutions containing multivalent counterions they can lead to charge inversion and flocculation. In biological systems the correlations account for the organization of cytoskeleton and the compaction of genetic material. In spite of their ubiquity, the true importance of electrostatic correlations has come to be fully appreciated only quite recently. In this paper, we will review the thermodynamic consequences of electrostatic correlations in a variety of systems ranging from classical plasmas to molecular biology

Vibrational Stark Effect of the Electric-Field Reporter 4-Mercaptobenzonitrile as a Tool for Investigating Electrostatics at Electrode/SAM/Solution Interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Hildebrandt

2012-06-01

Full Text Available 4-mercaptobenzonitrile (MBN in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs on Au and Ag electrodes was studied by surface enhanced infrared absorption and Raman spectroscopy, to correlate the nitrile stretching frequency with the local electric field exploiting the vibrational Stark effect (VSE. Using MBN SAMs in different metal/SAM interfaces, we sorted out the main factors controlling the nitrile stretching frequency, which comprise, in addition to external electric fields, the metal-MBN bond, the surface potential, and hydrogen bond interactions. On the basis of the linear relationships between the nitrile stretching and the electrode potential, an electrostatic description of the interfacial potential distribution is presented that allows for determining the electric field strengths on the SAM surface, as well as the effective potential of zero-charge of the SAM-coated metal. Comparing this latter quantity with calculated values derived from literature data, we note a very good agreement for Au/MBN but distinct deviations for Ag/MBN which may reflect either the approximations and simplifications of the model or the uncertainty in reported structural parameters for Ag/MBN. The present electrostatic model consistently explains the electric field strengths for MBN SAMs on Ag and Au as well as for thiophenol and mercaptohexanoic acid SAMs with MBN incorporated as a VSE reporter.

Numerical solution of boundary-integral equations for molecular electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardhan, Jaydeep P

2009-03-07

Numerous molecular processes, such as ion permeation through channel proteins, are governed by relatively small changes in energetics. As a result, theoretical investigations of these processes require accurate numerical methods. In the present paper, we evaluate the accuracy of two approaches to simulating boundary-integral equations for continuum models of the electrostatics of solvation. The analysis emphasizes boundary-element method simulations of the integral-equation formulation known as the apparent-surface-charge (ASC) method or polarizable-continuum model (PCM). In many numerical implementations of the ASC/PCM model, one forces the integral equation to be satisfied exactly at a set of discrete points on the boundary. We demonstrate in this paper that this approach to discretization, known as point collocation, is significantly less accurate than an alternative approach known as qualocation. Furthermore, the qualocation method offers this improvement in accuracy without increasing simulation time. Numerical examples demonstrate that electrostatic part of the solvation free energy, when calculated using the collocation and qualocation methods, can differ significantly; for a polypeptide, the answers can differ by as much as 10 kcal/mol (approximately 4% of the total electrostatic contribution to solvation). The applicability of the qualocation discretization to other integral-equation formulations is also discussed, and two equivalences between integral-equation methods are derived.

Research on electrostatic electrification during jet kerosene spraying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Quanzhen; Li, Yipeng; Zhang, Wentian; Sun, Keping

2013-01-01

Multiple electrostatic electrifications during aircraft fuelling process may cause a fire disaster or explosion, so study on the protection measure for electrostatic electrification is very important for the security of aircraft fuelling. This paper investigated the electrostatic voltage and charge of the fuel nozzle and metal parts during the fuel spraying by self-designed jet kerosene spraying electrostatic electrification test system. The experimental results indicate that the voltage on the fuel nozzle and metal parts is very dangerous for electrostatic safety if they are not reliably grounded.

Charging and absorption characteristics of small particulates under alternative and electrostatic voltages in an electrostatic precipitator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Xue-Dong; Xu He; Wang Xin

2014-01-01

The charge quantity of small particulates such as PM2.5 plays a key role in the collection efficiency of an electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Under a single electrostatic voltage, it is difficult to charge and absorb small particulates. A new method of superimposing an alternative voltage on the electrostatic voltage is provided in this paper. Characteristics of small particulates are analyzed under alternative and electrostatic voltages. It is demonstrated that an alternative voltage can significantly improve the collection efficiency in three aspects: preventing anti-corona, increasing the charge quantity of small particulates, and increasing the median particulate size by electric agglomeration. In addition, practical usage with the superposition of alternative voltage is provided, and the results are in agreement with the theoretical analysis. (physics of gases, plasmas, and electric discharges)

Electrostatics in pharmaceutical aerosols for inhalation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Jennifer; Chan, Hak-Kim; Kwok, Philip Chi Lip

2013-08-01

Electrostatics continues to play an important role in pharmaceutical aerosols for inhalation. Despite its ubiquitous nature, the charging process is complex and not well understood. Nonetheless, significant advances in the past few years continue to improve understanding and lead to better control of electrostatics. The purpose of this critical review is to present an overview of the literature, with an emphasis on how electrostatic charge can be useful in improving pulmonary drug delivery.

Reducing detrimental electrostatic effects in Casimir-force measurements and Casimir-force-based microdevices

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jun; Klimchitskaya, G. L.; Mostepanenko, V. M.; Mohideen, U.

2018-03-01

It is well known that residual electrostatic forces create significant difficulties in precise measurements of the Casimir force and the wide use of Casimir-operated microdevices. We experimentally demonstrate that, with the help of Ar-ion cleaning of the surfaces, it is possible to make electrostatic effects negligibly small compared to the Casimir interaction. Our experimental setup consists of a dynamic atomic force microscope supplemented with an Ar-ion gun and argon reservoir. The residual potential difference between the Au-coated surfaces of a sphere and those of a plate was measured both before and after in situ Ar-ion cleaning. It is shown that this cleaning decreases the magnitude of the residual potential by up to an order of magnitude and makes it almost independent of the separation. The gradient of the Casimir force was measured using ordinary samples subjected to Ar-ion cleaning. The obtained results are shown to be in good agreement both with previous precision measurements using specially selected samples and with theoretical predictions of the Lifshitz theory. The conclusion is made that the suggested method of in situ Ar-ion cleaning is effective in reducing the electrostatic effects and therefore is a great resource for experiments on measuring the Casimir interaction and for Casimir-operated microdevices.

Investigation of plasma–surface interaction effects on pulsed electrostatic manipulation for reentry blackout alleviation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnamoorthy, S; Close, S

2017-01-01

distances up to three times the electrode length normal to the vehicle surface. Based on our results, we postulate that pulsed electrostatic manipulation (PEM) may be a viable candidate for reentry blackout alleviation in the future. (paper)

A resolution study for electrostatic force microscopy on bimetallic samples using the boundary element method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Yongxing; Lee, Minhwan; Lee, Wonyoung; Barnett, David M; Pinsky, Peter M; Prinz, Friedrich B

2008-01-01

Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) is a special design of non-contact atomic force microscopy used for detecting electrostatic interactions between the probe tip and the sample. Its resolution is limited by the finite probe size and the long-range characteristics of electrostatic forces. Therefore, quantitative analysis is crucial to understanding the relationship between the actual local surface potential distribution and the quantities obtained from EFM measurements. To study EFM measurements on bimetallic samples with surface potential inhomogeneities as a special case, we have simulated such measurements using the boundary element method and calculated the force component and force gradient component that would be measured by amplitude modulation (AM) EFM and frequency modulation (FM) EFM, respectively. Such analyses have been performed for inhomogeneities of various shapes and sizes, for different tip-sample separations and tip geometries, for different applied voltages, and for different media (e.g., vacuum or water) in which the experiment is performed. For a sample with a surface potential discontinuity, the FM-EFM resolution expression agrees with the literature; however, the simulation for AM-EFM suggests the existence of an optimal tip radius of curvature in terms of resolution. On the other hand, for samples with strip- and disk-shaped surface potential inhomogeneities, we have obtained quantitative expressions for the detectability size requirements as a function of experimental conditions for both AM- and FM-EFMs, which suggest that a larger tip radius of curvature is moderately favored for detecting the presence of such inhomogeneities

Large amplitude dynamics of micro-/nanomechanical resonators actuated with electrostatic pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juillard, J.; Bonnoit, A.; Avignon, E.; Hentz, S.; Colinet, E.

2010-01-01

In the field of resonant nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) design, it is a common misconception that large-amplitude motion, and thus large signal-to-noise ratio, can only be achieved at the risk of oscillator instability. In the present paper, we show that very simple closed-loop control schemes can be used to achieve stable large-amplitude motion of a resonant structure even when jump resonance (caused by electrostatic softening or Duffing hardening) is present in its frequency response. We focus on the case of a resonant accelerometer sensing cell, consisting of a nonlinear clamped-clamped beam with electrostatic actuation and detection, maintained in an oscillation state with pulses of electrostatic force that are delivered whenever the detected signal (the position of the beam) crosses zero. We show that the proposed feedback scheme ensures the stability of the motion of the beam much beyond the critical Duffing amplitude and that, if the parameters of the beam are correctly chosen, one can achieve almost full-gap travel range without incurring electrostatic pull-in. These results are illustrated and validated with transient simulations of the nonlinear closed-loop system.

Constructing irregular surfaces to enclose macromolecular complexes for mesoscale modeling using the discrete surface charge optimization (DISCO) algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qing; Beard, Daniel A; Schlick, Tamar

2003-12-01

Salt-mediated electrostatics interactions play an essential role in biomolecular structures and dynamics. Because macromolecular systems modeled at atomic resolution contain thousands of solute atoms, the electrostatic computations constitute an expensive part of the force and energy calculations. Implicit solvent models are one way to simplify the model and associated calculations, but they are generally used in combination with standard atomic models for the solute. To approximate electrostatics interactions in models on the polymer level (e.g., supercoiled DNA) that are simulated over long times (e.g., milliseconds) using Brownian dynamics, Beard and Schlick have developed the DiSCO (Discrete Surface Charge Optimization) algorithm. DiSCO represents a macromolecular complex by a few hundred discrete charges on a surface enclosing the system modeled by the Debye-Hückel (screened Coulombic) approximation to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, and treats the salt solution as continuum solvation. DiSCO can represent the nucleosome core particle (>12,000 atoms), for example, by 353 discrete surface charges distributed on the surfaces of a large disk for the nucleosome core particle and a slender cylinder for the histone tail; the charges are optimized with respect to the Poisson-Boltzmann solution for the electric field, yielding a approximately 5.5% residual. Because regular surfaces enclosing macromolecules are not sufficiently general and may be suboptimal for certain systems, we develop a general method to construct irregular models tailored to the geometry of macromolecules. We also compare charge optimization based on both the electric field and electrostatic potential refinement. Results indicate that irregular surfaces can lead to a more accurate approximation (lower residuals), and the refinement in terms of the electric field is more robust. We also show that surface smoothing for irregular models is important, that the charge optimization (by the TNPACK

The role of electrostatic charging of small and intermediate sized bodies in the solar system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendis, D.A.

1981-01-01

The role of electrostatic charging of small and intermediate sized bodies in the solar system is reviewed. These bodies include planetary, interplanetary and cometary dust as well as cometary nuclei (at large heliocentric distances), asteroids and the larger bodies in the Saturnian ring system. While this charging has both physical and dynamical consequences for the small dust grains, it has only physical consequences for the larger bodies. The main physical consequences for the small grains are electrostatic erosion (''chipping'') and disruption, whereas for the larger bodies they include electrostatic levitation and blow-off of fine loose dust from their surfaces. A large variety of solar system phenomena, recently observed by the Pioneer and Voyager deep space probes as well as the HEOS-2 earth satellite, are explained in terms of these processes. Certain peculiar features observed in the dust tails of comets as well as the spatial orientation of the zodiacal dust cloud may also be explained along these lines. The possible electrostatic erosion of the dust mantles of new comets as well as the electrostatic 'polishing' of the smaller asteroids are also discussed. (Auth.)

Study on the electrostatic and piezoelectric properties of positive polypropylene electret cyclosporine A patch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, X; Liang, Y Y; Jiang, J; Liu, H Y; Cui, L L

2013-01-01

Corona charged electrets at voltages of +500 V, +1000 V and +1500 V were prepared for manufacturing polypropylene (PP) electret blank patches and PP electret drug patches. The stability of external electrostatic field of the electret patch and the polarization of the drug in patch under the internal electrostatic field of the electret were studied. The results indicate that all the electret drug patches had good charge storage stabilities. However, the non-electrode coated electret drug patch had better stability in the external electrostatic field than that of the electrode coated electret drug patch. The higher the charging voltage of the electret, the faster the surface potential of the electret drug patch decayed, and the worse the stability of the external electrostatic field. All the electrets used in this study could result in the polarization of the model drug in patch. The piezoelectric properties of non-electrode coated electret drug patch increased with the charging voltage of the electret. However, excessively higher charging voltage could result in the decreased polarization of the drug in patch. Both the stability of the external electrostatic field of electret and the polarization of drug were the key factors for controlled drug release and skin permeation.

Electrostatic Charging and Particle Interactions in Microscopic Insulating Grains

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Victor

In this thesis, we experimentally investigate the electrostatic charging as well as the particle interactions in microscopic insulating grains. First, by tracking individual grains accelerated in an electric field, we quantitatively demonstrate that tribocharging of same-material grains depends on particle size. Large grains tend to charge positively, and small ones tend to charge negatively. Theories based on the transfer of trapped electrons can explain this tendency but have not been validated. Here we show that the number of trapped electrons, measured independently by a thermoluminescence technique, is orders of magnitude too small to be responsible for the amount of charge transferred. This result reveals that trapped electrons are not responsible for same-material tribocharging of dielectric particles. Second, same-material tribocharging in grains can result in important long-range electrostatic interactions. However, how these electrostatic interactions contribute to particle clustering remains elusive, primarily due to the lack of direct, detailed observations. Using a high-speed camera that falls with a stream charged grains, we observe for the first time how charged grains can undergo attractive as well as repulsive Kepler-like orbits. Charged particles can be captured in their mutual electrostatic potential and form clusters via multiple bounces. Dielectric polarization effects are directly observed, which lead to additional attractive forces and stabilize "molecule-like" arrangements of charged particles. Third, we have developed a new method to study the charge transfer of microscopic particles based on acoustic levitation techniques. This method allows us to narrow the complex problem of many-particle charging down to precise charge measurements of a single sub-millimeter particle colliding with a target plate. By simply attaching nonpolar groups onto glass surfaces, we show that the contact charging of a particle is highly dependent on

The unusual properties of beryllium surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stumpf, R.; Hannon, J.B.

1994-01-01

Be is a ''marginal metal.'' The stable phase, hcp-Be, has a low Fermi-level density of states and very anisotropic structural and elastic properties, similar to a semiconductor's. At the Be(0001) surface, surface states drastically increase the Fermi-level density of states. The different nature of bonding in bulk-Be and at the Be(0001) surface explains the large outward relaxation. The presence of surface states causes large surface core-level shifts by inducing a higher electrostatic potential in the surface layers and by improving the screening at the surface. The authors experimental and theoretical investigations of atomic vibrations at the Be(0001) surface demonstrate clearly that Be screening of atomic motion by the surface states makes the surface phonon dispersion fundamentally different from that of the bulk. Properties of Be(0001) are so different from those of the bulk that the surface can be considered a new ''phase'' of beryllium with unique electronic and structural characteristics. For comparison they also study Be(11 bar 20), a very open surface without important surface states. Be(11 bar 20) is the only clean s-p metal surface known to reconstruct (1 x 3 missing row reconstruction)

DNA-inspired hierarchical polymer design: electrostatics and hydrogen bonding in concert.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemp, Sean T; Long, Timothy E

2012-01-01

Nucleic acids and proteins, two of nature's biopolymers, assemble into complex structures to achieve desired biological functions and inspire the design of synthetic macromolecules containing a wide variety of noncovalent interactions including electrostatics and hydrogen bonding. Researchers have incorporated DNA nucleobases into a wide variety of synthetic monomers/polymers achieving stimuli-responsive materials, supramolecular assemblies, and well-controlled macromolecules. Recently, scientists utilized both electrostatics and complementary hydrogen bonding to orthogonally functionalize a polymer backbone through supramolecular assembly. Diverse macromolecules with noncovalent interactions will create materials with properties necessary for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fabrication of SU-8 low frequency electrostatic energy harvester

KAUST Repository

Ramadan, Khaled S.

2011-11-01

A 1500μm × 1500μm × 150μm out-of-plane, gap closing, electrostatic energy harvester is designed and fabricated to harvest low-frequency ambient vibrations. SU-8 is used to fabricate the proof mass (1200μm × 1200μm × 150μm) and the 5 m springs. Different harvesters were designed to harvest at 50, 75 and 110 Hz. At 110 Hz, Simulations show that with an input vibration of 10 μm amplitude at the frequency of resonance of the structure, the energy harvester should generate an average output power density of 0.032μW/mm3. This is the most area-efficient low-frequency electrostatic harvester to-date. © 2011 IEEE.

An electrostatic scanning micromirror with diaphragm mirror plate and diamond-shaped reinforcement frame

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Chang-Hyeon; Choi, Moongoo; Kim, Sang-Cheon; Lee, See-Hyung; Kim, Seong-Hyok; Yee, Youngjoo; Bu, Jong-Uk

2006-05-01

We present the design, fabrication and measurement results of a comb-driven electrostatic scanning micromirror. Instead of a conventional micromirror having uniform thickness across the entire reflective surface, a diaphragm mirror plate supported by an array of diamond-shaped frame structures is fabricated monolithically. The fabrication process is a simple sequence of silicon deep etch processes on both sides of the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate without the substrate bonding process. The micromirror is fabricated on the device layer of the substrate. The mirror plate undergoes a rotational motion by an electrostatic force between the movable comb electrodes connected to the micromirror and stationary comb electrode formed on the handle wafer. A scanning micromirror with a 10 µm thick diaphragm mirror plate, having a planar dimension of 1.5 × 1.5 mm2, supported by an array of 110 µm thick rhombic support frames, was fabricated and tested. A mechanical deflection angle of 8.5° at a resonance frequency of 19.55 kHz and a pressure of 7 mTorr was obtained. A prototype of the raster scanning laser projection display system was developed using the fabricated micromirror as the horizontal scanner and a galvanomirror as the vertical scanner, respectively.

SMPBS: Web server for computing biomolecular electrostatics using finite element solvers of size modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yang; Ying, Jinyong; Xie, Dexuan

2017-03-30

SMPBS (Size Modified Poisson-Boltzmann Solvers) is a web server for computing biomolecular electrostatics using finite element solvers of the size modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation (SMPBE). SMPBE not only reflects ionic size effects but also includes the classic Poisson-Boltzmann equation (PBE) as a special case. Thus, its web server is expected to have a broader range of applications than a PBE web server. SMPBS is designed with a dynamic, mobile-friendly user interface, and features easily accessible help text, asynchronous data submission, and an interactive, hardware-accelerated molecular visualization viewer based on the 3Dmol.js library. In particular, the viewer allows computed electrostatics to be directly mapped onto an irregular triangular mesh of a molecular surface. Due to this functionality and the fast SMPBE finite element solvers, the web server is very efficient in the calculation and visualization of electrostatics. In addition, SMPBE is reconstructed using a new objective electrostatic free energy, clearly showing that the electrostatics and ionic concentrations predicted by SMPBE are optimal in the sense of minimizing the objective electrostatic free energy. SMPBS is available at the URL: smpbs.math.uwm.edu © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

pH-Responsive Particle-Liquid Aggregates—Electrostatic Formation Kinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter M. Ireland

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Liquid-particle aggregates were formed electrostatically using pH-responsive poly[2-(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate] (PDEA-coated polystyrene particles. This novel non-contact electrostatic method has been used to assess the particle stimulus-responsive wettability in detail. Video footage and fractal analysis were used in conjunction with a two-stage model to characterize the kinetics of transfer of particles to a water droplet surface, and internalization of particles by the droplet. While no stable liquid marbles were formed, metastable marbles were manufactured, whose duration of stability depended strongly on drop pH. Both transfer and internalization were markedly faster for droplets at low pH, where the particles were expected to be hydrophilic, than at high pH where they were expected to be hydrophobic. Increasing the driving electrical potential produced greater transfer and internalization times. Possible reasons for this are discussed.

Electrostatic effect for the collisionless tearing mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshino, M.

1987-01-01

Electron dynamics has not been self-consistently considered in collisionless tearing mode theories to date because of the mathematical complexity of the Vlasov-Maxwell equations. We have found using computer simulations that electrostatic fields play an important role in the tearing mode. Vlasov theory, including the electrostatic field, is investigated for topologies with both antiparallel and nonantiparallel magnetic field lines. The electrostatic field influences the resonant current in the neutral sheet which is a non-MHD effect, and modifies the linear growth rate. At the magnetopause, where the field lines are not antiparallel, the electrostatic effect acts to raise the linear growth rate of the tearing mode. On the other hand, in the magnetotail, where magnetic field lines are antiparallel, the electrostatic effect reduces the tearing mode growth rate. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

Effect of solution chemistry on the adsorption of perfluorooctane sulfonate onto mineral surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Chuyang Y; Shiang Fu, Q; Gao, Dawen; Criddle, Craig S; Leckie, James O

2010-04-01

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an emergent contaminant of substantial environmental concerns, yet very limited information has been available on PFOS adsorption onto mineral surfaces. PFOS adsorption onto goethite and silica was investigated by batch adsorption experiments under various solution compositions. Adsorption onto silica was only marginally affected by pH, ionic strength, and calcium concentration, likely due to the dominance of non-electrostatic interactions. In contrast, PFOS uptake by goethite increased significantly at high [H+] and [Ca2+], which was likely due to enhanced electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged PFOS molecules and positively charged goethite surface. The effect of pH was less significant at high ionic strength, likely due to electrical double layer compression. PFOS uptake was reduced at higher ionic strength for a strongly positively charged goethite surface (pH 3), while it increased for a weakly charged surface (pH 7 and 9), which could be attributed to the competition between PFOS-surface electrostatic attraction and PFOS-PFOS electrostatic repulsion. A conceptual model that captures PFOS-surface and PFOS-PFOS electrostatic interactions as well as non-electrostatic interaction was also formulated to understand the effect of solution chemistry on PFOS adsorption onto goethite and silica surfaces. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The electrostatic atomization of hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, A J

1984-06-01

Exploitation of the unique and potentially beneficial characteristics of electrostatic atomization in combustion systems has foundered upon the inability of two element, diode devices to operate at flow rates that are larger than a fraction of a millilitre per second. This restriction has been attributed to the high innate electrical resistivity of hydrocarbon fuels. A discussion of proposed electrostatic fuel atomizers and their limitations is presented from the vantage of a recently developed theory of electrostatic spraying. Comparison of theory and experiment reveals the existence of a 'constant of spraying' and the presence of an operational regime in which low charge density droplet development is possible. Operation with hydrocarbons in this regime occurs when the mean droplet size is greater than or equal to 10 ..mu..m and fluid viscosity is below about 250 cp. The resulting spray has a mean droplet size that is functionally dependent only upon the free charge density level of the fluid. Consequently there is no theoretical impediment to the attainment of high flow rate electrostatic atomization with fluids of arbitrary conductivity. Implementation is achieved by a general class of electrostatic spray devices which employ direct charge injection. The Spray Triode, a submerged field-emission electron gun, represents a particularly simple member of this new class of atomizer. Among the Spray Triode operational characteristics to be discussed is insensitivity to spray fluid properties and flow rate.

Study of a condition for the mode conversion from purely perpendicular electrostatic waves to electromagnetic waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalaee, Mohammad Javad, E-mail: mjkalaee@ut.ac.ir [Space Physics Group, Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Katoh, Yuto, E-mail: yuto@stpp.gp.tohoku.ac.jp [Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University (Japan)

2016-07-15

One of the mechanisms for generating electromagnetic plasma waves (Z-mode and LO-mode) is mode conversion from electrostatic waves into electromagnetic waves in inhomogeneous plasma. Herein, we study a condition required for mode conversion of electrostatic waves propagating purely perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field, by numerically solving the full dispersion relation. An approximate model is derived describing the coupling between electrostatic waves (hot plasma Bernstein mode) and Z-mode waves at the upper hybrid frequency. The model is used to study conditions required for mode conversion from electrostatic waves (electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves, including Bernstein mode) into electromagnetic plasma waves (LO-mode). It is shown that for mode conversion to occur in inhomogeneous plasma, the angle between the boundary surface and the magnetic field vector should be within a specific range. The range of the angle depends on the norm of the k vector of waves at the site of mode conversion in the inhomogeneous region. The present study reveals that inhomogeneity alone is not a sufficient condition for mode conversion from electrostatic waves to electromagnetic plasma waves and that the angle between the magnetic field and the density gradient plays an important role in the conversion process.

SIRAH: a structurally unbiased coarse-grained force field for proteins with aqueous solvation and long-range electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Darré, Leonardo; Machado, Matías Rodrigo; Brandner, Astrid Febe; González, Humberto Carlos; Ferreira, Sebastián; Pantano, Sergio

2015-02-10

Modeling of macromolecular structures and interactions represents an important challenge for computational biology, involving different time and length scales. However, this task can be facilitated through the use of coarse-grained (CG) models, which reduce the number of degrees of freedom and allow efficient exploration of complex conformational spaces. This article presents a new CG protein model named SIRAH, developed to work with explicit solvent and to capture sequence, temperature, and ionic strength effects in a topologically unbiased manner. SIRAH is implemented in GROMACS, and interactions are calculated using a standard pairwise Hamiltonian for classical molecular dynamics simulations. We present a set of simulations that test the capability of SIRAH to produce a qualitatively correct solvation on different amino acids, hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions, and long-range electrostatic recognition leading to spontaneous association of unstructured peptides and stable structures of single polypeptides and protein-protein complexes.

Crystal structure of the gamma-2 herpesvirus LANA DNA binding domain identifies charged surface residues which impact viral latency.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Correia

Full Text Available Latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA mediates γ2-herpesvirus genome persistence and regulates transcription. We describe the crystal structure of the murine gammaherpesvirus-68 LANA C-terminal domain at 2.2 Å resolution. The structure reveals an alpha-beta fold that assembles as a dimer, reminiscent of Epstein-Barr virus EBNA1. A predicted DNA binding surface is present and opposite this interface is a positive electrostatic patch. Targeted DNA recognition substitutions eliminated DNA binding, while certain charged patch mutations reduced bromodomain protein, BRD4, binding. Virus containing LANA abolished for DNA binding was incapable of viable latent infection in mice. Virus with mutations at the charged patch periphery exhibited substantial deficiency in expansion of latent infection, while central region substitutions had little effect. This deficiency was independent of BRD4. These results elucidate the LANA DNA binding domain structure and reveal a unique charged region that exerts a critical role in viral latent infection, likely acting through a host cell protein(s.

PREFACE: 13th International Conference on Electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, D. Martin

2011-06-01

Ramos on 'Electrohydrodynamic pumping in microsystems'. Of the papers submitted for publication 69 passed through the thorough review process and I take this opportunity to warmly thank the reviewers for their constructive criticism and rapid turnaround which has allowed the Proceedings to be delivered to the publisher on time. It is a pleasure also to thank members of the International Advisory Panel, and the Organizing and Programme Committees for their guidance and suggestions and especially Claire Garland and her team at the Institute of Physics for their support, all of which ensured a successful and enjoyable conference. Special thanks are due to Jeremy Smallwood for organising the pre-conference workshop, to Tom Jones, Martin Glor and Dave Swenson for their highly informative and educational contributions at the workshop, to CST for organising the simulation workshop, and to CST and JCI Chilworth for their much appreciated sponsorship of the conference. I am sure you will enjoy reading this record of Electrostatics 2011, covering as it does the wide range of subjects upon which static electricity impinges. Especially important is the development of electrostatic-based methods for reducing atmospheric pollution. In this context it is interesting to see how Masuda's work on the surface-discharge-based Boxer charger, first reported over 30 years ago, has now developed into dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) systems for the removal of noxious molecules from industrial and vehicle exhaust gases. Thanks to our hard working conference chairman, Paul Holdstock, the conference retained its now well-established reputation for providing a friendly, sociable atmosphere for discussing the newest developments in this important scientific area. Finally, my sincere thanks go to all the presenters and to all those who attended and contributed to another successful conference. Professor D. Martin TaylorProceedings EditorBangor, May 2011

Are electrostatic potentials between regions of different chemical composition measurable? The Gibbs-Guggenheim Principle reconsidered, extended and its consequences revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Pethica, Brian A

2007-12-21

As indicated by Gibbs and made explicit by Guggenheim, the electrical potential difference between two regions of different chemical composition cannot be measured. The Gibbs-Guggenheim Principle restricts the use of classical electrostatics in electrochemical theories as thermodynamically unsound with some few approximate exceptions, notably for dilute electrolyte solutions and concomitant low potentials where the linear limit for the exponential of the relevant Boltzmann distribution applies. The Principle invalidates the widespread use of forms of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation which do not include the non-electrostatic components of the chemical potentials of the ions. From a thermodynamic analysis of the parallel plate electrical condenser, employing only measurable electrical quantities and taking into account the chemical potentials of the components of the dielectric and their adsorption at the surfaces of the condenser plates, an experimental procedure to provide exceptions to the Principle has been proposed. This procedure is now reconsidered and rejected. No other related experimental procedures circumvent the Principle. Widely-used theoretical descriptions of electrolyte solutions, charged surfaces and colloid dispersions which neglect the Principle are briefly discussed. MD methods avoid the limitations of the Poisson-Bolzmann equation. Theoretical models which include the non-electrostatic components of the inter-ion and ion-surface interactions in solutions and colloid systems assume the additivity of dispersion and electrostatic forces. An experimental procedure to test this assumption is identified from the thermodynamics of condensers at microscopic plate separations. The available experimental data from Kelvin probe studies are preliminary, but tend against additivity. A corollary to the Gibbs-Guggenheim Principle is enunciated, and the Principle is restated that for any charged species, neither the difference in electrostatic potential nor the

Electrostatic force microscopy as a broadly applicable method for characterizing pyroelectric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin-Olmos, Cristina; Gimzewski, James K; Stieg, Adam Z

2012-01-01

A general method based on the combination of electrostatic force microscopy with thermal cycling of the substrate holder is presented for direct, nanoscale characterization of the pyroelectric effect in a range of materials and sample configurations using commercial atomic force microscope systems. To provide an example of its broad applicability, the technique was applied to the examination of natural tourmaline gemstones. The method was validated using thermal cycles similar to those experienced in ambient conditions, where the induced pyroelectric response produced localized electrostatic surface charges whose magnitude demonstrated a correlation with the iron content and heat dissipation of each gemstone variety. In addition, the surface charge was shown to persist even at thermal equilibrium. This behavior is attributed to constant, stochastic cooling of the gemstone surface through turbulent contact with the surrounding air and indicates a potential utility for energy harvesting in applications including environmental sensors and personal electronics. In contrast to previously reported methods, ours has a capacity to carry out such precise nanoscale measurements with little or no restriction on the sample of interest, and represents a powerful new tool for the characterization of pyroelectric materials and devices. (paper)

Stabilization mechanism for the polar ZnO(0001̅)-O surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahl, Roman; Lauritsen, Jeppe Vang; Besenbacher, Flemming

2013-01-01

When wurtzite ZnO is sliced perpendicular to the (0001) axis, two different polar surfaces, the (0001)-Zn and (0001̅ )-O terminated surfaces, are formed. In a simple ionic picture, both surfaces are electrostatically unstable due to a diverging electrostatic energy. Although the ionic picture...

Electrostatic curtain studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, L.C.

1992-05-01

This report presents the results of experiments using electrostatic curtains (ESCS) as a transuranic (TRU) contamination control technique. The TRU contaminants included small (micrometer to sub micrometer) particles of plutonium and americium compounds associated with defense-related waste. Three series of experiments were conducted. The first was with uncontaminated Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) soil, the second used contaminated soil containing plutonium-239 (from a mixture of Rocky Flats Plant contaminated soil and INEL uncontaminated soil), and the third was uncontaminated INEL soil spiked with plutonium-239. All experiments with contaminated soil were conducted inside a glove box containing a dust generator, low volume cascade impactor (LVCI), electrostatic separator, and electrostatic materials. The data for these experiments consisted of the mass of dust collected on the various material coupons, plates, and filters; radiochemical analysis of selected samples; and photographs, as well as computer printouts giving particle size distributions and dimensions from the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The following results were found: (a) plutonium content (pCi/g) was found to increase with smaller soil particle sizes and (b) the electrostatic field had a stronger influence on smaller particle sizes compared to larger particle sizes. The SEM analysis indicated that the particle size of the tracer Pu239 used in the spiked soil experiments was below the detectable size limit (0.5 μm) of the SEM and, thus, may not be representative of plutonium particles found in defense-related waste. The use of radiochemical analysis indicated that plutonium could be found on separator plates of both polarities, as well as passing through the electric field and collecting on LVCI filters

Electrostatic Levitator Electrode Layout

Science.gov (United States)

1998-01-01

Schematic of Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) electrodes and controls system. The ESL uses static electricity to suspend an object (about 2-3 mm in diameter) inside a vacuum chamber while a laser heats the sample until it melts. This lets scientists record a wide range of physical properties without the sample contacting the container or any instruments, conditions that would alter the readings. The Electrostatic Levitator is one of several tools used in NASA's microgravity materials science program.

Electrostatic polymer-based microdeformable mirror for adaptive optics

Science.gov (United States)

Zamkotsian, Frederic; Conedera, Veronique; Granier, Hugues; Liotard, Arnaud; Lanzoni, Patrick; Salvagnac, Ludovic; Fabre, Norbert; Camon, Henri

2007-02-01

Future adaptive optics (AO) systems require deformable mirrors with very challenging parameters, up to 250 000 actuators and inter-actuator spacing around 500 μm. MOEMS-based devices are promising for the development of a complete generation of new deformable mirrors. Our micro-deformable mirror (MDM) is based on an array of electrostatic actuators with attachments to a continuous mirror on top. The originality of our approach lies in the elaboration of layers made of polymer materials. Mirror layers and active actuators have been demonstrated. Based on the design of this actuator and our polymer process, realization of a complete polymer-MDM has been done using two process flows: the first involves exclusively polymer materials while the second uses SU8 polymer for structural layers and SiO II and sol-gel for sacrificial layers. The latest shows a better capability in order to produce completely released structures. The electrostatic force provides a non-linear actuation, while AO systems are based on linear matrices operations. Then, we have developed a dedicated 14-bit electronics in order to "linearize" the actuation, using a calibration and a sixth-order polynomial fitting strategy. The response is nearly perfect over our 3×3 MDM prototype with a standard deviation of 3.5 nm; the influence function of the central actuator has been measured. First evaluation on the cross non-linarities has also been studied on OKO mirror and a simple look-up table is sufficient for determining the location of each actuator whatever the locations of the neighbor actuators. Electrostatic MDM are particularly well suited for open-loop AO applications.

Continuous electrodeionization through electrostatic shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dermentzis, Konstantinos

2008-01-01

We report a new continuous electrodeionization cell with electrostatically shielded concentrate compartments or electrochemical Faraday cages formed by porous electronically and ionically conductive media, instead of permselective ion exchange membranes. Due to local elimination of the applied electric field within the compartments, they electrostatically retain the incoming ions and act as 'electrostatic ion pumps' or 'ion traps' and therefore concentrate compartments. The porous media are chemically and thermally stable. Electrodeionization or electrodialysis cells containing such concentrate compartments in place of ion exchange membranes can be used to regenerate ion exchange resins and produce deionized water, to purify industrial effluents and desalinate brackish or seawater. The cells can work by polarity reversal without any negative impact to the deionization process. Because the electronically and ionically active media constituting the electrostatically shielded concentrate compartments are not permselective and coions are not repelled but can be swept by the migrating counterions, the cells are not affected by the known membrane associated limitations, such as concentration polarization or scaling and show an increased current efficiency

The Electrostatic Environments of the Moon and Mars: Implications for Human Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Calle, Carlos I.; Mackey, Paul J.; Johansen, Michael R.; Hogue, Michael D.; Phillips, James; Cox, Rachel E.

2016-01-01

Lacking a substantial atmosphere, the moon is exposed to the full spectrum of solar radiation as well as to cosmic rays. Electrostatically, the moon is a charged body in a plasma. A Debye sheet meters high on the dayside of the moon and kilometers high on the night side envelops the moon. This sheet isolates the lunar surface from high energy particles coming from the sun. The electrostatic environment on Mars is controlled by its ever present atmospheric dust. Dust devils and dust storms tribocharge this dust. Theoretical studies predict that lightning and/or glow discharges should be present on Mars, but none have been directly observed. Experiments are planned to shed light on this issue.

Structured nanoporous surfaces from hybrid block copolymer micelle films with metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Minsoo P; Yi, Gi-Ra; Kim, Hyeong Jun; Kim, Bumjoon J

2015-01-01

We present a novel method for producing structured nanoporous thin films using block copolymer (BCP) micelles loaded with metallic ions. The BCP micellar thin films containing gold (Au) ions were prepared by spin-coating poly(styrene-block-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) micelle solutions in which Au precursors (AuCl 4 − ) were selectively loaded onto the P4VP core. When the micellar films were exposed to cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) solutions, the Au precursors were selectively extracted from the P4VP domains due to their strong electrostatic interaction with CTAB, leading to the formation of pores in the micelles. Consequently, regularly patterned nanoporous surfaces were formed. By controlling the molecular weight (M n ) of PS-b-P4VP and the amount of Au precursors (λ) that were loaded in the P4VP domains, the pore size and depth could be tuned precisely. In particular, when a sufficient amount of Au precursors was loaded (λ  ≥ 0.3), the porous surface nanostructure was well developed. In addition, the pore size and depth of the nanostructure increased as the λ value increased. For instance, when the λ value increased from 0.3 to 1.0, the pore size increased from 22.8 nm to 28.8 nm, and the pore depth increased from 2.1 nm to 3.2 nm. Interestingly, the transition from the nonporous structures to the porous structures in the micellar film could be reversibly controlled by adding and removing the Au precursors in the film. Moreover, our method for the preparation of nanoporous films can be extended to micellar film by incorporating other metal ions such as silver (Ag) and iron (Fe). (paper)

Nanoconfined ionic liquids: Disentangling electrostatic and viscous forces

Science.gov (United States)

Lhermerout, Romain; Perkin, Susan

2018-01-01

Recent reports of surface forces across nanoconfined ionic liquids have revealed the existence of an anomalously long-ranged interaction apparently of electrostatic origin. Ionic liquids are viscous, and therefore it is important to inspect rigorously whether the observed repulsive forces are indeed equilibrium forces or, rather, arise from the viscous force during drainage of the fluid between two confining surfaces. In this paper we present our direct measurements of surface forces between mica sheets approaching in the ionic liquid [C2C1Im ] [NTf2] , exploring three orders of magnitude in approach velocity. Trajectories are systematically fitted by solving the equation of motion, allowing us to disentangle the viscous and equilibrium contributions. First, we find that the drainage obeys classical hydrodynamics with a negative slip boundary condition in the range of the structural force, implying that a nanometer -thick portion of the liquid in the vicinity of the solid surface is composed of ordered molecules that do not contribute to the flow. Second, we show that a long-range static force must indeed be invoked, in addition to the viscous force, in order to describe the data quantitatively. This equilibrium interaction decays exponentially and with decay length in agreement with the screening length reported for the same system in previous studies. In those studies the decay was simply checked to be independent of velocity and measured at a low approach rate, rather than explicitly taking account of viscous effects: we explain why this gives indistinguishable outcomes for the screening length by noting that the viscous force is linear to very good approximation over a wide range of distances.

Introduction to numerical electrostatics using MATLAB

CERN Document Server

Dworsky, Lawrence N

2014-01-01

The first of its kind uniquely devoted to the field of computational electrostatics, this book dives headfirst into the actual problems that engineers are expected to solve using method of moment (MoM), finite difference, and finite element techniques. Readers are guided step by step through specific problems and challenges, covering all aspects of electrostatics with an emphasis on numerical procedures. Focusing on practical examples, mathematical equations, and common issues with algorithms, this is an ideal text for students in engineering, physics, and electrostatics-and working engineers

Predicting nucleic acid binding interfaces from structural models of proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Dror, Iris; Shazman, Shula; Mukherjee, Srayanta; Zhang, Yang; Glaser, Fabian; Mandel-Gutfreund, Yael

2012-02-01

The function of DNA- and RNA-binding proteins can be inferred from the characterization and accurate prediction of their binding interfaces. However, the main pitfall of various structure-based methods for predicting nucleic acid binding function is that they are all limited to a relatively small number of proteins for which high-resolution three-dimensional structures are available. In this study, we developed a pipeline for extracting functional electrostatic patches from surfaces of protein structural models, obtained using the I-TASSER protein structure predictor. The largest positive patches are extracted from the protein surface using the patchfinder algorithm. We show that functional electrostatic patches extracted from an ensemble of structural models highly overlap the patches extracted from high-resolution structures. Furthermore, by testing our pipeline on a set of 55 known nucleic acid binding proteins for which I-TASSER produces high-quality models, we show that the method accurately identifies the nucleic acids binding interface on structural models of proteins. Employing a combined patch approach we show that patches extracted from an ensemble of models better predicts the real nucleic acid binding interfaces compared with patches extracted from independent models. Overall, these results suggest that combining information from a collection of low-resolution structural models could be a valuable approach for functional annotation. We suggest that our method will be further applicable for predicting other functional surfaces of proteins with unknown structure. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Application of electrostatic prevention technology on polyethylene silos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Hong; Liu, Quanzhen; Tan, Fenggui; Zhang, Yunpeng

2013-01-01

The main reasons of static electric explosion accidents in polyolefin plant silos were analyzed in this paper, and the study finds that the reasons include control failure of flammable gas content in the feed, high electrification caused by the wind supply, and frequent electrostatic discharge in silos. The electrostatic-reducing technologies of polyolefin powder were introduced, and its application performance in polyolefin plant silos was also clarified. In addition, the methods including FDCS and DGES for evaluation of electrostatic explosion in polyolefin plant silo were proposed. In the end, the risk of electrostatic explosion in PE plant blended silo was evaluated before and after application of electrostatic reducing technology.

Spherical Nb single crystals containerlessly grown by electrostatic levitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung, Y.S.; Takeya, H.; Hirata, K.; Togano, K.

2003-01-01

Spherical Nb (T m =2750 K) single crystals were grown via containerless electrostatic levitation (ESL). Samples became spherical at melting in levitation and undercooled typically 300-450 K prior to nucleation. As-processed samples were still spherical without any macroscopic shape change by solidification showing a uniform dendritic surface morphology. Crystallographic {111} planes exposed in equilateral triangular shapes on the surface by preferential macroetching and spotty back-reflection Laue patterns confirm the single crystal nature of the ESL-processed Nb samples. No hysteresis in magnetization between zero field and field cooling also implies a clean defect-free condition of the spherical Nb single crystals

Large Aperture Electrostatic Dust Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skinner, C.H.; Hensley, R.; Roquemore, A.L.

2007-01-01

Diagnosis and management of dust inventories generated in next-step magnetic fusion devices is necessary for their safe operation. A novel electrostatic dust detector, based on a fine grid of interlocking circuit traces biased to 30 or 50 v has been developed for the detection of dust particles on remote surfaces in air and vacuum environments. Impinging dust particles create a temporary short circuit and the resulting current pulse is recorded by counting electronics. Up to 90% of the particles are ejected from the grid or vaporized suggesting the device may be useful for controlling dust inventories. We report measurements of the sensitivity of a large area (5x5 cm) detector to microgram quantities of dust particles and review its applications to contemporary tokamaks and ITER.

Microporous Ti implant compact coated with hydroxyapatite produced by electro-discharge-sintering and electrostatic-spray-deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Y J; Kim, Y H; Jo, Y H; Seong, J G; Chang, S Y; Van Tyne, C J; Lee, W H

2014-11-01

A single pulse of 1.5 kJ/0.7 g of atomized spherical Ti powder from 300 μF capacitor was applied to produce the porous-surfaced Ti implant compact by electro-discharge-sintering (EDS). A solid core surrounded by porous layer was self-consolidated by a discharge in the middle of the compact in 122 μsec. Average pore size, porosity, and compressive yield strength of EDS Ti compact were estimated to be about 68.2 μm, 25.5%, and 266.4 MPa, respectively. Coatings with hydroxyapatite (HAp) on the Ti compact were conducted by electrostatic-spray-deposition (ESD) method. As-deposited HAp coating was in the form of porous structure and consisted of HAp particles which were uniformly distributed on the Ti porous structure. By heat-treatment at 700 degrees C, HAp particles were agglomerated each other and melted to form a highly smooth and homogeneous HAp thin film consisted of equiaxed nano-scaled grains. Porous-surfaced Ti implant compacts coated with highly crystalline apatite phase were successfully obtained by using the EDS and ESD techniques.

Charging effects and surface potential variations of Cu-based nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nunes, D., E-mail: daniela.gomes@fct.unl.pt [i3N/CENIMAT, Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Calmeiro, T.R.; Nandy, S.; Pinto, J.V.; Pimentel, A.; Barquinha, P. [i3N/CENIMAT, Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Carvalho, P.A. [SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, PB 124 Blindern, NO-0314, Oslo (Norway); CeFEMA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal); Walmsley, J.C. [SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, Materials and Nanotechnology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7034 Trondheim (Norway); Fortunato, E., E-mail: emf@fct.unl.pt [i3N/CENIMAT, Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Martins, R., E-mail: rm@uninova.pt [i3N/CENIMAT, Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

2016-02-29

The present work reports charging effects and surface potential variations in pure copper, cuprous oxide and cupric oxide nanowires observed by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). The copper nanowires were produced by wet synthesis, oxidation into cuprous oxide nanowires was achieved through microwave irradiation and cupric oxide nanowires were obtained via furnace annealing in atmospheric conditions. Structural characterization of the nanowires was carried out by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. During the EFM experiments the electrostatic field of the positive probe charged negatively the Cu-based nanowires, which in turn polarized the SiO{sub 2} dielectric substrate. Both the probe/nanowire capacitance as well as the substrate polarization increased with the applied bias. Cu{sub 2}O and CuO nanowires behaved distinctively during the EFM measurements in accordance with their band gap energies. The work functions (WF) of the Cu-based nanowires, obtained by KPFM measurements, yielded WF{sub CuO} > WF{sub Cu} > WF{sub Cu{sub 2O}}. - Highlights: • Charge distribution study in Cu, Cu{sub 2}O and CuO nanowires through electrostatic force microscopy • Structural/surface defect role on the charge distribution along the Cu nanowires • Determination of the nanowire work functions by Kelvin probe force microscopy • Three types of nanowires give a broad idea of charge behavior on Cu based-nanowires.

Predicting the Deflections of Micromachined Electrostatic Actuators Using Artificial Neural Network (ANN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hing Wah LEE

2009-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, a general purpose Artificial Neural Network (ANN model based on the feed-forward back-propagation (FFBP algorithm has been used to predict the deflections of a micromachined structures actuated electrostatically under different loadings and geometrical parameters. A limited range of simulation results obtained via CoventorWare™ numerical software will be used initially to train the neural network via back-propagation algorithm. The micromachined structures considered in the analyses are diaphragm, fixed-fixed beams and cantilevers. ANN simulation results are compared with results obtained via CoventorWare™ simulations and existing analytical work for validation purpose. The proposed ANN model accurately predicts the deflections of the micromachined structures with great reduction of simulation efforts, establishing the method superiority. This method can be extended for applications in other sensors particularly for modeling sensors applying electrostatic actuation which are difficult in nature due to the inherent non-linearity of the electro-mechanical coupling response.

Electrostatic design and beam transport for a folded tandem electrostatic quadrupole accelerator facility for accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thatar Vento, V.; Bergueiro, J.; Cartelli, D.; Valda, A.A.; Kreiner, A.J.

2011-01-01

Within the frame of an ongoing project to develop a folded Tandem-Electrostatic-Quadrupole (TESQ) accelerator facility for Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (AB-BNCT), we discuss here the electrostatic design of the machine, including the accelerator tubes with electrostatic quadrupoles and the simulations for the transport and acceleration of a high intensity beam.

Preliminary electrostatic and mechanical design of a SINGAP-MAMuG compatible accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grando, L. [Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I-35127 Padova (Italy)], E-mail: luca.grando@igi.cnr.it; Dal Bello, S.; De Lorenzi, A. [Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I-35127 Padova (Italy); Pilan, N. [DIE, Universita di Padova, Via Gradenigo 6A, I-35100 Padova (Italy); Rizzolo, A.; Zaccaria, P. [Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I-35127 Padova (Italy)

2009-06-15

Each ITER NB injector shall provide 16.5 MW auxiliary power by accelerating a deuterium beam across a voltage of -1 MV. At present two possible alternatives for the accelerator are considered: the reference design, based on MAMuG electrostatic accelerator, where the total voltage is graded using five grids at intermediate steps of 200 kV, and the alternative concept, the SINGAP accelerator, for which the total voltage is held by one single gap. This paper focuses a preliminary feasibility study of integration of SINGAP accelerator grids into the support structure of a MAMuG type accelerator; the review or design of new electrostatic shields to improve the voltage withstanding capability of the system and the preliminary design of electrical and hydraulic connections routing from the bushing to the accelerator are also discussed. Electrostatic and mechanical analyses carried out to support the design are described in detail.

Clustering of carboxylated magnetite nanoparticles through polyethylenimine: Covalent versus electrostatic approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tóth, Ildikó Y., E-mail: Ildiko.Toth@chem.u-szeged.hu [Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Aradi vt. square 1, Szeged (Hungary); Nesztor, Dániel [Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Aradi vt. square 1, Szeged (Hungary); Novák, Levente [Department of Colloid and Environmental Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem square 1, Debrecen (Hungary); Illés, Erzsébet; Szekeres, Márta; Szabó, Tamás [Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Aradi vt. square 1, Szeged (Hungary); Tombácz, Etelka, E-mail: tombacz@chem.u-szeged.hu [Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Aradi vt. square 1, Szeged (Hungary)

2017-04-01

Carboxylated magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) are frequently used to develop materials with enhanced properties for MRI and hyperthermia. The controlled clustering of MNPs via covalent or electrostatic approaches provides opportunity to prepare high quality materials. MNPs were prepared by co-precipitation and coated by poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid) (PAM@MNP). The clusters were synthesized from purified PAM@MNPs and polyethylenimine (PEI) solution via electrostatic interaction and covalent bond formation (ES-cluster and CB-cluster, respectively). The electrostatic adhesion (–NH{sub 3}{sup +} and –COO{sup –}) and the formed amide bond were confirmed by ATR-FTIR. The averaged area of CB-clusters was about twice as large as that of ES-cluster, based on TEM. The SAXS results showed that the surface of MNPs was smooth and the nanoparticles were close packed in both clusters. The pH-dependent aggregation state and zeta potential of clusters were characterized by DLS and electrophoresis measurements, the clusters were colloidally stable at pH>5. In hyperthermia experiments, the values of SAR were about two times larger for the chemically bonded cluster. The MRI studies showed exceptionally high transversion relaxivities, the r{sub 2} values are 457 mM{sup −1} s{sup −1} and 691 mM{sup −1} s{sup −1} for ES-cluster and CB-cluster, respectively. Based on these results, the chemically clustered product shows greater potential for feasible biomedical applications. - Highlights: • Chemically bonded clusters (CB-cluster) were prepared from PEI and PAM-coated MNPs. • The electrostatically clustered units (ES-cluster) are smaller and more compact. • The electrostatic adhesion and the amide bond formation were confirmed by ATR-FTIR. • CB-cluster dispersions are colloidally stable under physiological conditions. • CB-cluster shows great potential for application in MRI and hyperthermia.

An optimized intermolecular force field for hydrogen-bonded organic molecular crystals using atomic multipole electrostatics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyzer-Knapp, Edward O.; Thompson, Hugh P. G.; Day, Graeme M.

2016-01-01

An empirically parameterized intermolecular force field is developed for crystal structure modelling and prediction. The model is optimized for use with an atomic multipole description of electrostatic interactions. We present a re-parameterization of a popular intermolecular force field for describing intermolecular interactions in the organic solid state. Specifically we optimize the performance of the exp-6 force field when used in conjunction with atomic multipole electrostatics. We also parameterize force fields that are optimized for use with multipoles derived from polarized molecular electron densities, to account for induction effects in molecular crystals. Parameterization is performed against a set of 186 experimentally determined, low-temperature crystal structures and 53 measured sublimation enthalpies of hydrogen-bonding organic molecules. The resulting force fields are tested on a validation set of 129 crystal structures and show improved reproduction of the structures and lattice energies of a range of organic molecular crystals compared with the original force field with atomic partial charge electrostatics. Unit-cell dimensions of the validation set are typically reproduced to within 3% with the re-parameterized force fields. Lattice energies, which were all included during parameterization, are systematically underestimated when compared with measured sublimation enthalpies, with mean absolute errors of between 7.4 and 9.0%

Electrostatics promotes molecular crowding and selects the aggregation pathway in fibril-forming protein solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raccosta, S.; Martorana, V.; Manno, M.; Blanco, M.; Roberts, C.J.

2016-01-01

The role of intermolecular interaction in fibril-forming protein solutions and its relation with molecular conformation are crucial aspects for the control and inhibition of amyloid structures. Here, we study the fibril formation and the protein-protein interactions for two proteins at acidic ph, lysozyme and α-chymotrypsinogen. By using light scattering experiments and the Kirkwood-Buff integral approach, we show how concentration fluctuations are damped even at moderate protein concentrations by the dominant long-ranged electrostatic repulsion, which determines an effective crowded environment. In denaturing conditions, electrostatic repulsion keeps the monomeric solution in a thermodynamically metastable state, which is escaped through kinetically populated conformational sub-states. This explains how electrostatics acts as a gatekeeper in selecting a specific aggregation pathway.

Increasing the reactivity of an artificial dithiol-disulfide pair through modification of the electrostatic milieu

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rosa E; Østergaard, Henrik; Winther, Jakob R

2005-01-01

K(a) value of Cys149, as well as favorable electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged reagents. The results presented here show that the electrostatic milieu of cysteine thiols in proteins can have substantial effects on the rates of the thiol-disulfide exchange reactions.......The thiol-disulfide exchange reaction plays a central role in the formation of disulfide bonds in newly synthesized proteins and is involved in many aspects of cellular metabolism. Because the thiolate form of the cysteine residue is the key reactive species, its electrostatic milieu is thought...... surface. We have studied properties of vicinal cysteine residues in proteins using a model system based on redox-sensitive yellow fluorescent protein (rxYFP). In this system, the formation of a disulfide bond between two cysteines Cys149 and Cys202 is accompanied by a 2.2-fold decrease in fluorescence...

Geometry-Dependent Electrostatics near Contact Lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Tom

2001-01-01

Long-ranged electrostatic interactions in electrolytes modify contact angles on charged substrates in a scale and geometry-dependent manner. For angles measured at scales smaller than the typical Debye screening length, the wetting geometry near the contact line must be explicitly considered. Using variational and asymptotic methods, we derive new transcendental equations for the contact angle as functions of the electrostatic potential only at the three phase contact line. Analytic expressions are found in certain limits and compared with predictions for contact angles measured with lower resolution. An estimate for electrostatic contributions to line tension is also given

Electrostatic resonances and optical responses of cylindrical clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choy, C W; Xiao, J J; Yu, K W

2008-01-01

We developed a Green function formalism (GFF) for computing the electrostatic resonance in clusters of cylindrical particles. In the GFF, we take advantage of a surface integral equation to avoid matching the complicated boundary conditions on the surfaces of the particles. Numerical solutions of the eigenvalue equation yield a pole spectrum in the spectral representation. The pole spectrum can in turn be used to compute the optical response of these particles. For two cylindrical particles, the results are in excellent agreement with the exact results from the multiple image method and the normal mode expansion method. The results of this work can be extended to investigate the enhanced nonlinear optical responses of metal-dielectric composites, as well as optical switching in plasmonic waveguides.

Electrostatic process for a heat pump with spontaneous flow; Procede electrostatique de pompe a chaleur a ecoulement spontane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brochet, J.L.

2001-07-01

This document describes a new type of high-performance electrostatic gas heat pump. An electrical field is created at the surface of the hot plate (the 'electrostatic' plate) which polarizes and attracts the gas molecules. The thermodynamic principle and the technical aspects of this invention are described, together with some specific applications (thermoelectric converter with a unique heat source, plant for power and fresh water production from seawater). (J.S.)

Electrostatic storage ring with focusing provided by the space charge of an electron plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacheco, J. L.; Ordonez, C. A.; Weathers, D. L.

2013-01-01

Electrostatic storage rings are used for a variety of atomic physics studies. An advantage of electrostatic storage rings is that heavy ions can be confined. An electrostatic storage ring that employs the space charge of an electron plasma for focusing is described. An additional advantage of the present concept is that slow ions, or even a stationary ion plasma, can be confined. The concept employs an artificially structured boundary, which is defined at present as one that produces a spatially periodic static field such that the spatial period and range of the field are much smaller than the dimensions of a plasma or charged-particle beam that is confined by the field. An artificially structured boundary is used to confine a non-neutral electron plasma along the storage ring. The electron plasma would be effectively unmagnetized, except near an outer boundary where the confining electromagnetic field would reside. The electron plasma produces a radially inward electric field, which focuses the ion beam. Self-consistently computed radial beam profiles are reported.

Long-pore Electrostatics in Inward-rectifier Potassium Channels

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Janice L.; Palmer, Lawrence G.; Roux, Benoît

2008-01-01

Inward-rectifier potassium (Kir) channels differ from the canonical K+ channel structure in that they possess a long extended pore (∼85 Å) for ion conduction that reaches deeply into the cytoplasm. This unique structural feature is presumably involved in regulating functional properties specific to Kir channels, such as conductance, rectification block, and ligand-dependent gating. To elucidate the underpinnings of these functional roles, we examine the electrostatics of an ion along this extended pore. Homology models are constructed based on the open-state model of KirBac1.1 for four mammalian Kir channels: Kir1.1/ROMK, Kir2.1/IRK, Kir3.1/GIRK, and Kir6.2/KATP. By solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, the electrostatic free energy of a K+ ion is determined along each pore, revealing that mammalian Kir channels provide a favorable environment for cations and suggesting the existence of high-density regions in the cytoplasmic domain and cavity. The contribution from the reaction field (the self-energy arising from the dielectric polarization induced by the ion's charge in the complex geometry of the pore) is unfavorable inside the long pore. However, this is well compensated by the electrostatic interaction with the static field arising from the protein charges and shielded by the dielectric surrounding. Decomposition of the static field provides a list of residues that display remarkable correspondence with existing mutagenesis data identifying amino acids that affect conduction and rectification. Many of these residues demonstrate interactions with the ion over long distances, up to 40 Å, suggesting that mutations potentially affect ion or blocker energetics over the entire pore. These results provide a foundation for understanding ion interactions in Kir channels and extend to the study of ion permeation, block, and gating in long, cation-specific pores. PMID:19001143

Electrostatic Deformation of Liquid Surfaces by a Charged Rod and a Van De Graaff Generator

Science.gov (United States)

Slisko, Josip; García-Molina, Rafael; Abril, Isabel

2014-01-01

Authors of physics textbooks frequently use the deflection of a thin, vertically falling water jet by a charged balloon, comb, or rod as a visually appealing and conceptually relevant example of electrostatic attraction. Nevertheless, no attempts are made to explore whether these charged bodies could cause visible deformation of a horizontal water…

Modification of equivalent charge method for the Roben three-dimensional problem in electrostatics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barsukov, A.B.; Surenskij, A.V.

1989-01-01

The approach of the Roben problem solution for the calculation of the potential of intermediate electrode of accelerating structure with HFQ focusing is considered. The solution is constructed on the basis of variational formulation of the equivalent charge method, where electrostatic problem is reduced to equations of root-mean-square residuals on the system conductors. The technique presented permits to solve efficiently the three-dimensional problems of electrostatics for rather complicated from geometrical viewpoint systems of electrodes. Processing time is comparable with methods of integral equations. 5 refs.; 2 figs

Scanning Surface Potential Microscopy of Spore Adhesion on Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ida [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Chung, Eunhyea [Georgia Institute of Technology; Kweon, Hyojin [Georgia Institute of Technology; Yiacoumi, Sotira [Georgia Institute of Technology; Tsouris, Costas [ORNL

2012-01-01

The adhesion of spores of Bacillus anthracis - the cause of anthrax and a likely biological threat - to solid surfaces is an important consideration in cleanup after an accidental or deliberate release. However, because of safety concerns, directly studying B. anthracis spores with advanced instrumentation is problematic. As a first step, we are examining the electrostatic potential of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is a closely related species that is often used as a simulant to study B. anthracis. Scanning surface potential microscopy (SSPM), also known as Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), was used to investigate the influence of relative humidity (RH) on the surface electrostatic potential of Bt that had adhered to silica, mica, or gold substrates. AFM/SSPM side-by-side images were obtained separately in air, at various values of RH, after an aqueous droplet with spores was applied on each surface and allowed to dry before measurements. In the SSPM images, a negative potential on the surface of the spores was observed compared with that of the substrates. The surface potential decreased as the humidity increased. Spores were unable to adhere to a surface with an extremely negative potential, such as mica.

Grain size and nanoscale effects on the nonlinear pull-in instability and vibrations of electrostatic actuators made of nanocrystalline material

Science.gov (United States)

Gholami, R.; Ansari, R.

2018-01-01

Presented herein is the study of grain size, grain surface energy and small scale effects on the nonlinear pull-in instability and free vibration of electrostatic nanoscale actuators made of nanocrystalline silicon (Nc-Si). A Mori-Tanaka micromechanical model is utilized to calculate the effective material properties of Nc-Si considering material structure inhomogeneity, grain size and grain surface energy. The small-scale effect is also taken into account using Mindlin’s strain gradient theory. Governing equations are derived in the discretized weak form using the variational differential quadrature method based on the third-order shear defamation beam theory in conjunction with the von Kármán hypothesis. The electrostatic actuation is modeled considering the fringing field effects based upon the parallel plate approximation. Moreover, the Casimir force effect is considered. The pseudo arc-length continuation technique is used to obtain the applied voltage-deflection curve of Nc-Si actuators. Then, a time-dependent small disturbance around the deflected configuration is assumed to solve the free vibration problem. By performing a numerical study, the influences of various factors such as length scale parameter, volume fraction of the inclusion phase, density ratio, average inclusion radius and Casimir force on the pull-in instability and free vibration of Nc-Si actuators are investigated.

Electrostatic potential of mean force between two curved surfaces in the presence of counterion connectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shiqi

2015-11-01

In this paper, we investigate effects of counterion connectivity (i.e., association of the counterions into a chain molecule) on the electrostatic potential of mean force (EPMF) between two similarly charged cylinder rods in a primitive model electrolyte solution by solving a classical density functional theory. The main findings include the following: (i) The counterion connectivity helps in inducing a like-charge-attractionlike (LCA-like) phenomenology even in a monovalent counterion solution wherein the LCA-like observation generally does not occur without the counterion connectivity. (ii) For divalent counterion solutions, the counterion connectivity can reinforce or weaken the LCA-like observation depending on the chain length N , and simply increases the equilibrium nearest surface separation of the rods corresponding to the minimum EPMF to nearly three times the counterion site diameter, whether N is large or small. (iii) If N is large enough, the LCA-like strength tends to be negatively correlated with the electrolyte concentration c over the entire range of the rod surface charge magnitude | σ*| considered; whereas if N drops, the correlation tends to become positive with decrease of the | σ*| value, and particularly for modest | σ*| values, the correlation relationship exhibits an extreme value phenomenon. (iv) In the case of a 1:1 electrolyte, the EPMF effects of the diameters of counterion and coion sites are similar in both situations with and without the counterion connectivity. All of these findings can be explained self-consistently by a recently proposed hydrogen-bonding style mechanism reinforced by one additional concept: flexibility of the counterion chain and the factors affecting it, like N and counterion site valence.

Electrostatic hazards

CERN Document Server

Luttgens, Günter; Luttgens, Gnter; Luttgens, G Nter

1997-01-01

In the US, UK and Europe there is in excess of one notifiable dust or electrostatic explosion every day of the year. This clearly makes the hazards associated with the handling of materials subject to either cause or react to electrostatic discharge of vital importance to anyone associated with their handling or industrial bulk use. This book provides a comprehensive guide to the dangers of static electricity and how to avoid them. It will prove invaluable to safety managers and professionals, as well as all personnel involved in the activities concerned, in the chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical and petrochemical process industries. The book makes extended use of case studies to illustrate the principles being expounded, thereby making it far more open, accessible and attractive to the practitioner in industry than the highly theoretical texts which are also available. The authors have many years' experience in the area behind them, including the professional teaching of the content provided here. Günte...

Mechanical behavior analysis on electrostatically actuated rectangular microplates

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhikang; Zhao, Libo; Jiang, Zhuangde; Ye, Zhiying; Dai, Lu; Zhao, Yulong

2015-03-01

Microplates are widely used in various MEMS devices based on electrostatic actuation such as MEMS switches, micro pumps and capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). Accurate predictions for the mechanical behavior of the microplate under electrostatic force are important not only for the design and optimization of these electrostatic devices but also for their operation. This paper presents a novel reduced-order model for electrostatically actuated rectangular and square microplates with a new method to treat the nonlinear electrostatic force. The model was developed using Galerkin method which turned the partial-differential equation governing the microplates into an ordinary equation system. Using this model and cosine-like deflection functions, explicit expressions were established for the deflection and pull-in voltage of the rectangular and square microplates. The theoretical results were well validated with the finite element method simulations and experimental data of literature. The expressions for the deflection analysis are able to predict the deflection up to the pull-in position with an error less than 5.0%. The expressions for the pull-in voltage analysis can determine the pull-in voltages with errors less than 1.0%. Additionally, the method to calculate the capacitance variation of the electrostatically actuated microplates was proposed. These theoretical analyses are helpful for design and optimization of electrostatically actuated microdevices.

Conservation and Role of Electrostatics in Thymidylate Synthase.

Science.gov (United States)

Garg, Divita; Skouloubris, Stephane; Briffotaux, Julien; Myllykallio, Hannu; Wade, Rebecca C

2015-11-27

Conservation of function across families of orthologous enzymes is generally accompanied by conservation of their active site electrostatic potentials. To study the electrostatic conservation in the highly conserved essential enzyme, thymidylate synthase (TS), we conducted a systematic species-based comparison of the electrostatic potential in the vicinity of its active site. Whereas the electrostatics of the active site of TS are generally well conserved, the TSs from minimal organisms do not conform to the overall trend. Since the genomes of minimal organisms have a high thymidine content compared to other organisms, the observation of non-conserved electrostatics was surprising. Analysis of the symbiotic relationship between minimal organisms and their hosts, and the genetic completeness of the thymidine synthesis pathway suggested that TS from the minimal organism Wigglesworthia glossinidia (W.g.b.) must be active. Four residues in the vicinity of the active site of Escherichia coli TS were mutated individually and simultaneously to mimic the electrostatics of W.g.b TS. The measured activities of the E. coli TS mutants imply that conservation of electrostatics in the region of the active site is important for the activity of TS, and suggest that the W.g.b. TS has the minimal activity necessary to support replication of its reduced genome.

Direct deposition of patterned nanocrystalline CVD diamond using an electrostatic self-assembly method with nanodiamond particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung-Koo; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Jeong, Min-Goon; Lim, Dae-Soon [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Anam-Dong 5-1, Seoungbuk-Ku, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Min-Jung, E-mail: dslim@korea.ac.kr [Center for Advanced Device Materials, Korea University, Anam-Dong 5-1, Seoungbuk-Ku, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of)

2010-12-17

Micron-sized and precise patterns of nanocrystalline CVD diamond were fabricated successfully on substrates using dispersed nanodiamond particles, charge connection by electrostatic self-assembly, and photolithography processes. Nanodiamond particles which had been dispersed using an attritional milling system were attached electrostatically on substrates as nuclei for diamond growth. In this milling process, poly sodium 4-styrene sulfonate (PSS) was added as an anionic dispersion agent to produce the PSS/nanodiamond conjugates. Ultra dispersed nanodiamond particles with a {zeta}-potential and average particle size of - 60.5 mV and {approx} 15 nm, respectively, were obtained after this milling process. These PSS/nanodiamond conjugates were attached electrostatically to a cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI) coated surface on to which a photoresist had been patterned in an aqueous solution of the PSS/nanodiamond conjugated suspension. A selectively seeded area was formed successfully using the above process. A hot filament chemical vapor deposition system was used to synthesize the nanocrystalline CVD diamond on the seeded area. Micron-sized, thin and precise nanocrystalline CVD diamond patterns with a high nucleation density (3.8 {+-} 0.4 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}) and smooth surface were consequently fabricated.

Direct deposition of patterned nanocrystalline CVD diamond using an electrostatic self-assembly method with nanodiamond particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung-Koo; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Jeong, Min-Goon; Lim, Dae-Soon; Song, Min-Jung

2010-01-01

Micron-sized and precise patterns of nanocrystalline CVD diamond were fabricated successfully on substrates using dispersed nanodiamond particles, charge connection by electrostatic self-assembly, and photolithography processes. Nanodiamond particles which had been dispersed using an attritional milling system were attached electrostatically on substrates as nuclei for diamond growth. In this milling process, poly sodium 4-styrene sulfonate (PSS) was added as an anionic dispersion agent to produce the PSS/nanodiamond conjugates. Ultra dispersed nanodiamond particles with a ζ-potential and average particle size of - 60.5 mV and ∼ 15 nm, respectively, were obtained after this milling process. These PSS/nanodiamond conjugates were attached electrostatically to a cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI) coated surface on to which a photoresist had been patterned in an aqueous solution of the PSS/nanodiamond conjugated suspension. A selectively seeded area was formed successfully using the above process. A hot filament chemical vapor deposition system was used to synthesize the nanocrystalline CVD diamond on the seeded area. Micron-sized, thin and precise nanocrystalline CVD diamond patterns with a high nucleation density (3.8 ± 0.4 x 10 11 cm -2 ) and smooth surface were consequently fabricated.

Design and Optimisation of Electrostatic Precipitator for Diesel Exhaust

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivaas, A.; Sathian, Samanyu; Ramesh, Arjun

2018-02-01

The principle of an industrially used emission reduction technique is employed in automotive diesel exhaust to reduce the diesel particulate emission. As the Emission regulation are becoming more stringent legislations have been formulated, due to the hazardous increase in the air quality index in major cities. Initially electrostatic precipitation principle and working was investigated. The High voltage requirement in an Electrostatic precipitator is obtained by designing an appropriate circuit in MATLAB -SIMULINK. Mechanical structural design of the new model after treatment device for the specific diesel exhaust was done. Fluid flow analysis of the ESP model was carried out using ANSYS CFX for optimized fluid with a reduced back pressure. Design reconsideration was done in accordance with fluid flow analysis. Accordingly, a new design is developed by considering diesel particulate filter and catalytic converter design to ESP model.

An electrostatic elliptical mirror for neutral polar molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

González Flórez, A Isabel; Meek, Samuel A; Haak, Henrik; Conrad, Horst; Santambrogio, Gabriele; Meijer, Gerard

2011-11-14

Focusing optics for neutral molecules finds application in shaping and steering molecular beams. Here we present an electrostatic elliptical mirror for polar molecules consisting of an array of microstructured gold electrodes deposited on a glass substrate. Alternating positive and negative voltages applied to the electrodes create a repulsive potential for molecules in low-field-seeking states. The equipotential lines are parallel to the substrate surface, which is bent in an elliptical shape. The mirror is characterized by focusing a beam of metastable CO molecules and the results are compared to the outcome of trajectory simulations.

Fabrication of graphene/polyaniline composite multilayer films by electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Jiaojiao; Chen, Yuze; Luo, Jing; Liu, Xiaoya

2014-10-01

A novel graphene/polyaniline composite multilayer film was fabricated by electrostatic interactions induced layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, using water dispersible and negatively charged chemically converted graphene (CCG) and positively charged polyaniline (PANI) as building blocks. CCG was achieved through partly reduced graphene oxide, which remained carboxyl group on its surface. The remaining carboxyl groups not only retain the dispersibility of CCG, but also allow the growth of the multilayer films via electrostatic interactions between graphene and PANI. The structure and morphology of the obtained CCG/PANI multilayer film are characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum (UV-vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical properties of the resulting film are studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), which showed that the resulting CCG/PANI multilayer film kept electroactivity in neutral solution and showed outstanding cyclic stability up to 100 cycles. Furthermore, the composite film exhibited good electrocatalytic ability toward ascorbic acid (AA) with a linear response from 1×10-4 to 1.2×10-3 M with the detect limit of 5×10-6 M. This study provides a facile and effective strategy to fabricate graphene/PANI nanocomposite film with good electrochemical property, which may find potential applications in electronic devices such as electrochemical sensor.

The influence of surface topography on Kelvin probe force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadewasser, S; Leendertz, C; Streicher, F; Lux-Steiner, M Ch

2009-01-01

Long-range electrostatic forces govern the imaging mechanism in electrostatic force microscopy as well as in Kelvin probe force microscopy. To improve the analysis of such images, simulations of the electrostatic field distribution have been performed in the past using a flat surface and a cone-shaped tip. However, the electrostatic field distribution between a tip and a sample depends strongly on the surface topography, which has been neglected in previous studies. It is therefore of general importance to study the influence of sample topography features on Kelvin probe force microscopy images, which we address here by performing finite element simulations. We show how the surface potential measurement is influenced by surface steps and surface grooves, considering potential variations in the form of a potential peak and a potential step. The influence of the topography on the measurement of the surface potential is found to be rather small compared to a typical experimental resolution. Surprisingly, in the case of a coinciding topography and potential step an improvement of the potential profile due to the inclusion of the topography is observed. Finally, based on the obtained results, suggestions for the realization of KPFM measurement are given.

Electrostatics with Computer-Interfaced Charge Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, Robert A.

2006-01-01

Computer interfaced electrostatic charge sensors allow both qualitative and quantitative measurements of electrostatic charge but are quite sensitive to charges accumulating on modern synthetic materials. They need to be used with care so that students can correctly interpret their measurements. This paper describes the operation of the sensors,…

Electrostatic Climber for Space Elevator and Launcher

OpenAIRE

Bolonkin, A.

2007-01-01

Author details research on the new, very prospective, electrostatic Space Elevator climber based on a new electrostatic linear engine previously offered at the 42nd Joint Propulsion Conference (AIAA-2006-5229) and published in AEAT, Vol.78, No.6, 2006, pp. 502-508. The electrostatic climber discussed can have any speed (and braking), the energy for climber movement is delivered by a lightweight high-voltage line into a Space Elevator-holding cable from Earth electric generator. This electric ...

Study and characteristics of a VIVITRON type electrostatic accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tancogne-Dejean, J.P.

1986-12-01

The conception of the 2 MV tandem electrostatic accelerator ARAMIS, which is intended for research in solid state and astrophysics, benefits from certain technological advances of the VIVITRON. Our study has dealt with the shape and arrangement of the column electrodes for this machine. We have employed the program Poisson which performs two-dimensional calculations of the electrical constraint at the surface of the conductors. The maximum field strength on the constrained regions has a value of 11.5 MV/m. This completely acceptable result let one expect that the machine operation will be satisfactory. Certain limitations inherent in the bidimensional calculations have led us to consider programs treating three dimensions. Access to the finite element library MODULEF at the Centre de Calcul in Strasbourg has increased the computational possibilities. The case of an insulating post in the coaxial terminal-tank structure has thus been treated. This work has allowed the construction of the column electrodes to proceed. They will be ready the beginning 1987. The tandem ARAMIS being built should be operational by the end of 1987 [fr

Possibility of analysis using RBS, PIXE and nuclear reaction on the electrostatic Pelletron accelerator 5SDH-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen The Nghia; Bui Van Loat; Le Hong Khiem

2011-01-01

The electrostatic Pelletron accelerator 5SDH-2 is installing at Hanoi University of Sciences. This accelerator will be the first tandem electrostatic accelerator installed in Vietnam. The schematic structure, principle of operation of the machine and its application for analysis using Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS), Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) will be presented. (author)

Measurements of the Casimir-Lifshitz force in fluids: The effect of electrostatic forces and Debye screening

Science.gov (United States)

Munday, J. N.; Capasso, Federico; Parsegian, V. Adrian; Bezrukov, Sergey M.

2008-09-01

We present detailed measurements of the Casimir-Lifshitz force between two gold surfaces (a sphere and a plate) immersed in ethanol and study the effect of residual electrostatic forces, which are dominated by static fields within the apparatus and can be reduced with proper shielding. Electrostatic forces are further reduced by Debye screening through the addition of salt ions to the liquid. Additionally, the salt leads to a reduction of the Casimir-Lifshitz force by screening the zero-frequency contribution to the force; however, the effect is small between gold surfaces at the measured separations and within experimental error. An improved calibration procedure is described and compared with previous methods. Finally, the experimental results are compared with Lifshitz’s theory and found to be consistent for the materials used in the experiment.

Electrostatic Charge on Flying Hummingbirds and Its Potential Role in Pollination.

Science.gov (United States)

Badger, Marc; Ortega-Jimenez, Victor Manuel; von Rabenau, Lisa; Smiley, Ashley; Dudley, Robert

2015-01-01

Electrostatic phenomena are known to enhance both wind- and insect-mediated pollination, but have not yet been described for nectar-feeding vertebrates. Here we demonstrate that wild Anna's Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) can carry positive charges up to 800 pC while in flight (mean ± s.d.: 66 ± 129 pC). Triboelectric charging obtained by rubbing an isolated hummingbird wing against various plant structures generated charges up to 700 pC. A metal hummingbird model charged to 400 pC induced bending of floral stamens in four plants (Nicotiana, Hemerocallis, Penstemon, and Aloe spp.), and also attracted falling Lycopodium spores at distances of < 2 mm. Electrostatic forces may therefore influence pollen transfer onto nectar-feeding birds.

Electrostatic design and beam transport for a folded tandem electrostatic quadrupole accelerator facility for accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Vento, V Thatar; Bergueiro, J; Cartelli, D; Valda, A A; Kreiner, A J

2011-12-01

Within the frame of an ongoing project to develop a folded Tandem-Electrostatic-Quadrupole (TESQ) accelerator facility for Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (AB-BNCT), we discuss here the electrostatic design of the machine, including the accelerator tubes with electrostatic quadrupoles and the simulations for the transport and acceleration of a high intensity beam. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An expanded genetic code for probing the role of electrostatics in enzyme catalysis by vibrational Stark spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Völler, Jan-Stefan; Biava, Hernan; Hildebrandt, Peter; Budisa, Nediljko

2017-11-01

To find experimental validation for electrostatic interactions essential for catalytic reactions represents a challenge due to practical limitations in assessing electric fields within protein structures. This review examines the applications of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) as genetically encoded probes for studying the role of electrostatic interactions in enzyme catalysis. ncAAs constitute sensitive spectroscopic probes to detect local electric fields by exploiting the vibrational Stark effect (VSE) and thus have the potential to map the protein electrostatics. Mapping the electrostatics in proteins will improve our understanding of natural catalytic processes and, in beyond, will be helpful for biocatalyst engineering. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The electrostatics of charged insulating sheets peeled from grounded conductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, M J; Horenstein, M N

2008-01-01

The physics of a charged, insulating sheet peeled from a ground-plane conductor is examined. Contact charging is ensured by charging a sheet to 10-12 kV with corona to establish intimate electrostatic contact with the underlying conductor. The surface potential is next forced to zero by sweeping the sheet with a stainless-steel brush, and the surface recharged to a new potential between 0 and 11 kV. The sheet is then peeled from the ground plane and its residual charge density is measured. Results show that the residual charge equals the breakdown-limiting value, but its polarity depends on the surface potential acquired just prior to peeling. The results have relevance to studies of industrial webs and insulating sheets.

Electrostatic quadrupole focused particle accelerating assembly with laminar flow beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maschke, A. W.

1985-01-01

A charged particle accelerating assembly provided with a predetermined ratio of parametric structural characteristics and with related operating voltages applied to each of its linearly spaced focusing and accelerating quadrupoles, thereby to maintain a particle beam traversing the electrostatic fields of the quadrupoles in the assembly in an essentially laminar flow throughout the assembly

Modification of 300kV RF Ion Source for 1-MV Electrostatic Accelerator at KOMAC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dae-Il; Kwon, Hyeok-Jung; Park, Sae-Hoon; Cho, Yong-Sub [KOMAC, Gyeongju (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

The specifications of the 1-MV electrostatic accelerator are shown as below. High voltage power supply is electron transformer rectifier (ELV) type which was developed in Nuclear Physics Institute (Novosibirsk) for industrial electron accelerators. And accelerator column consists of alumina and metal electrode rings were 0.5m-long brazed structure which can be installed horizontally. In case of ion source for 1-MV electrostatic accelerator, it is chosen a thonemann type rf ion source and 300-kV test-stand was made up to confirm the stable operating conditions. High voltage power supply is fabricated by domestic company, and its operation has been confirming at KOMAC site. Equally, the ion source of 300-kV test-stand should be modified to install into the high voltage power supply. In this paper, modification of ion source of 300-kV test-stand for 1-MV electrostatic accelerator is presented and its processes are considered. 300-kV RF ion source and power supply are testing for the 1-MV electrostatic accelerator and trying for combination between them. The 1-MV electrostatic accelerator will be fabricated with domestic companies and tested in the beam application research building at KOMAC.

Modification of 300kV RF Ion Source for 1-MV Electrostatic Accelerator at KOMAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dae-Il; Kwon, Hyeok-Jung; Park, Sae-Hoon; Cho, Yong-Sub

2015-01-01

The specifications of the 1-MV electrostatic accelerator are shown as below. High voltage power supply is electron transformer rectifier (ELV) type which was developed in Nuclear Physics Institute (Novosibirsk) for industrial electron accelerators. And accelerator column consists of alumina and metal electrode rings were 0.5m-long brazed structure which can be installed horizontally. In case of ion source for 1-MV electrostatic accelerator, it is chosen a thonemann type rf ion source and 300-kV test-stand was made up to confirm the stable operating conditions. High voltage power supply is fabricated by domestic company, and its operation has been confirming at KOMAC site. Equally, the ion source of 300-kV test-stand should be modified to install into the high voltage power supply. In this paper, modification of ion source of 300-kV test-stand for 1-MV electrostatic accelerator is presented and its processes are considered. 300-kV RF ion source and power supply are testing for the 1-MV electrostatic accelerator and trying for combination between them. The 1-MV electrostatic accelerator will be fabricated with domestic companies and tested in the beam application research building at KOMAC

Projective and superconformal structures on surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, W.J.

1990-01-01

Much attention has recently been given to the study of super Riemann surfaces. Detailed accounts of these objects and their infinitesimal deformation theory are referenced where they are fitted into the framework of complex supermanifolds, superconformal structures and graded sheaves. One difficulty, which seems even more of a barrier than in the case of classical deformations of Riemann surface structure, is the lack of a good global description of super-moduli spaces. In this note, we outline an approach which places the theory in the classical setting of projective structures on variable Riemann surfaces. We explain how to construct a distribution (family of vector subspaces) inside the holomorphic cotangent space to the moduli space M g of Riemann surfaces with genus g and furnished with a level-4 homology structure, such that the corresponding rank-(2g-2) complex vector bundle models the soul deformations of a family of super-Riemann surfaces. The keystone in this construction is the existence of holomorphic sections for the space of non-singular odd theta characteristics on C g the universal curve over M g . (author)

Photoelectric effect in surface-barrier structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kononenko, V.K.; Tupenevich, P.A.

1985-08-01

Deviations from the Fowler law were observed when investigating photoelectric emission in p-type ZnTe surface-barrier structures. The revealed peculiarities of the structure photosensitivity spectrum are explained by the electron transitions involving surface states at the metal-semiconductor interface. (author)

30 CFR 75.1708 - Surface structures, fireproofing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Surface structures, fireproofing. 75.1708... structures, fireproofing. [Statutory Provisions] After March 30, 1970, all structures erected on the surface within 100 feet of any mine opening shall be of fireproof construction. Unless structures existing on or...

Surface Pourbaix diagrams and oxygen reduction activity of Pt, Ag and Ni(111) surfaces studied by DFT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Heine Anton; Rossmeisl, Jan; Nørskov, Jens Kehlet

2008-01-01

The electrochemical most stable surface structures is investigated as function of pH and potential for Pt, Ag and Ni based on DFT calculations and constructed surface Pourbaix diagrams. It is also explained why metals such as Ag and Ni may be used successfully in alkaline fuel cells but not in ac......The electrochemical most stable surface structures is investigated as function of pH and potential for Pt, Ag and Ni based on DFT calculations and constructed surface Pourbaix diagrams. It is also explained why metals such as Ag and Ni may be used successfully in alkaline fuel cells...... but not in acidic PEM fuel cells. Based on density functional theory calculations we investigate the electrochemically most stable surface structures as a function of pH and electrostatic potential for Pt(111), Ag(111) and Ni(111), and we construct surface Pourbaix diagrams. We study the oxygen reduction reaction......, on the other hand, is constant vs. the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). For Ag, this means that where the potential for dissolution and ORR are about the same at pH = 0, Ag becomes more stable relative to RHE as pH is increased. Hence the pH dependent stability offers an explanation for the possible use...

Mechanical behavior analysis on electrostatically actuated rectangular microplates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Zhikang; Zhao, Libo; Jiang, Zhuangde; Ye, Zhiying; Zhao, Yulong; Dai, Lu

2015-01-01

Microplates are widely used in various MEMS devices based on electrostatic actuation such as MEMS switches, micro pumps and capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). Accurate predictions for the mechanical behavior of the microplate under electrostatic force are important not only for the design and optimization of these electrostatic devices but also for their operation. This paper presents a novel reduced-order model for electrostatically actuated rectangular and square microplates with a new method to treat the nonlinear electrostatic force. The model was developed using Galerkin method which turned the partial-differential equation governing the microplates into an ordinary equation system. Using this model and cosine-like deflection functions, explicit expressions were established for the deflection and pull-in voltage of the rectangular and square microplates. The theoretical results were well validated with the finite element method simulations and experimental data of literature. The expressions for the deflection analysis are able to predict the deflection up to the pull-in position with an error less than 5.0%. The expressions for the pull-in voltage analysis can determine the pull-in voltages with errors less than 1.0%. Additionally, the method to calculate the capacitance variation of the electrostatically actuated microplates was proposed. These theoretical analyses are helpful for design and optimization of electrostatically actuated microdevices. (paper)

Surface structure of AU3Cu(001)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eckstein, G.A.; Maupai, S.; Dakkouri, A.S.

1999-01-01

The surface morphology, composition, and structure of Au3Cu(001) as determined by scanning tunneling microscopy and surface x-ray diffraction are presented. Atomic resolution STM images reveal distinctive geometric features. The analysis of the surface x-ray diffraction data provides clear evidence...... for the surface structure. [S0163-1829(99)04535-X]....

Electrostatic flocking of chitosan fibres leads to highly porous, elastic and fully biodegradable anisotropic scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Gossla, Elke; Tonndorf, Robert; Bernhardt, Anne; Kirsten, Martin; Hund, Rolf-Dieter; Aibibu, Dilibar; Cherif, Chokri; Gelinsky, Michael

2016-10-15

Electrostatic flocking - a common textile technology which has been applied in industry for decades - is based on the deposition of short polymer fibres in a parallel aligned fashion on flat or curved substrates, covered with a layer of a suitable adhesive. Due to their highly anisotropic properties the resulting velvet-like structures can be utilised as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications in which the space between the fibres can be defined as pores. In the present study we have developed a fully resorbable compression elastic flock scaffold from a single material system based on chitosan. The fibres and the resulting scaffolds were analysed concerning their structural and mechanical properties and the biocompatibility was tested in vitro. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the chitosan fibres were analysed as a function of the applied sterilisation technique (ethanol, supercritical carbon dioxide, γ-irradiation and autoclaving). All sterilisation methods decreased the Young's modulus (from 14GPa to 6-12GPa). The tensile strength was decreased after all treatments - except after the autoclaving of chitosan fibres submerged in water. Compressive strength of the highly porous flock scaffolds was 18±6kPa with a elastic modulus in the range of 50-100kPa. The flocked scaffolds did not show any cytotoxic effect during indirect or direct culture of human mesenchymal stem cells or the sarcoma osteogenic cell line Saos-2. Furthermore cell adhesion and proliferation of both cell types could be observed. This is the first demonstration of a fully biodegradable scaffold manufactured by electrostatic flocking. Most tissues possess anisotropic fibrous structures. In contrast, most of the commonly used scaffolds have an isotropic morphology. By utilising the textile technology of electrostatic flocking, highly porous and clearly anisotropic scaffolds can be manufactured. Flocking leads to parallel aligned short fibres, glued on the surface of a substrate

Low power interface IC's for electrostatic energy harvesting applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kempitiya, Asantha

The application of wireless distributed micro-sensor systems ranges from equipment diagnostic and control to real time structural and biomedical monitoring. A major obstacle in developing autonomous micro-sensor networks is the need for local electric power supply, since using a battery is often not a viable solution. This void has sparked significant interest in micro-scale power generators based on electrostatic, piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy conversion that can scavenge ambient energy from the environment. In comparison to existing energy harvesting techniques, electrostatic-based power generation is attractive as it can be integrated using mainstream silicon technologies while providing higher power densities through miniaturization. However the power output of reported electrostatic micro-generators to date does not meet the communication and computation requirements of wireless sensor nodes. The objective of this thesis is to investigate novel CMOS-based energy harvesting circuit (EHC) architectures to increase the level of harvested mechanical energy in electrostatic converters. The electronic circuits that facilitate mechanical to electrical energy conversion employing variable capacitors can either have synchronous or asynchronous architectures. The later does not require synchronization of electrical events with mechanical motion, which eliminates difficulties in gate clocking and the power consumption associated with complex control circuitry. However, the implementation of the EHC with the converter can be detrimental to system performance when done without concurrent optimization of both elements, an aspect mainly overlooked in the literature. System level analysis is performed to show that there is an optimum value for either the storage capacitor or cycle number for maximum scavenging of ambient energy. The analysis also shows that maximum power is extracted when the system approaches synchronous operation. However, there is a region of

Static electric field enhancement in nanoscale structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lepetit, Bruno, E-mail: bruno.lepetit@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr; Lemoine, Didier, E-mail: didier.lemoine@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr [Université de Toulouse, UPS, Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité, IRSAMC, F-31062 Toulouse (France); CNRS, UMR 5589, F-31062 Toulouse (France); Márquez-Mijares, Maykel, E-mail: mmarquez@instec.cu [Université de Toulouse, UPS, Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité, IRSAMC, F-31062 Toulouse (France); CNRS, UMR 5589, F-31062 Toulouse (France); Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Avenida Salvador Allende 1110, Quinta de los Molinos, La Habana (Cuba)

2016-08-28

We study the effect of local atomic- and nano-scale protrusions on field emission and, in particular, on the local field enhancement which plays a key role as known from the Fowler-Nordheim model of electronic emission. We study atomic size defects which consist of right angle steps forming an infinite length staircase on a tungsten surface. This structure is embedded in a 1 GV/m ambient electrostatic field. We perform calculations based upon density functional theory in order to characterize the total and induced electronic densities as well as the local electrostatic fields taking into account the detailed atomic structure of the metal. We show how the results must be processed to become comparable with those of a simple homogeneous tungsten sheet electrostatic model. We also describe an innovative procedure to extrapolate our results to nanoscale defects of larger sizes, which relies on the microscopic findings to guide, tune, and improve the homogeneous metal model, thus gaining predictive power. Furthermore, we evidence analytical power laws for the field enhancement characterization. The main physics-wise outcome of this analysis is that limited field enhancement is to be expected from atomic- and nano-scale defects.

Low Mach-number collisionless electrostatic shocks and associated ion acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Pusztai, I.; TenBarge, J. M.; Csapó, A. N.; Juno, J.; Hakim, A.; Yi, L.; Fülöp, T.

2018-03-01

The existence and properties of low Mach-number (M≳ 1) electrostatic collisionless shocks are investigated with a semi-analytical solution for the shock structure. We show that the properties of the shock obtained in the semi-analytical model can be well reproduced in fully kinetic Eulerian Vlasov-Poisson simulations, where the shock is generated by the decay of an initial density discontinuity. Using this semi-analytical model, we study the effect of the electron-to-ion temperature ratio and the presence of impurities on both the maximum shock potential and the Mach number. We find that even a small amount of impurities can influence the shock properties significantly, including the reflected light ion fraction, which can change several orders of magnitude. Electrostatic shocks in heavy ion plasmas reflect most of the hydrogen impurity ions.

Surface charge method for molecular surfaces with curved areal elements I. Spherical triangles

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yi-Kuo

2018-03-01

Parametrizing a curved surface with flat triangles in electrostatics problems creates a diverging electric field. One way to avoid this is to have curved areal elements. However, charge density integration over curved patches appears difficult. This paper, dealing with spherical triangles, is the first in a series aiming to solve this problem. Here, we lay the ground work for employing curved patches for applying the surface charge method to electrostatics. We show analytically how one may control the accuracy by expanding in powers of the the arc length (multiplied by the curvature). To accommodate not extremely small curved areal elements, we have provided enough details to include higher order corrections that are needed for better accuracy when slightly larger surface elements are used.

Electron Debye scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instability: Electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang-Yun; Lee, Ensang; Kim, Khan-Hyuk; Lee, Dong-Hun; Seon, Jongho; Jin, Ho

2015-01-01

In this paper, we investigated the electron Debye scale Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability using two-dimensional electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations. We introduced a velocity shear layer with a thickness comparable to the electron Debye length and examined the generation of the KH instability. The KH instability occurs in a similar manner as observed in the KH instabilities in fluid or ion scales producing surface waves and rolled-up vortices. The strength and growth rate of the electron Debye scale KH instability is affected by the structure of the velocity shear layer. The strength depends on the magnitude of the velocity and the growth rate on the velocity gradient of the shear layer. However, the development of the electron Debye scale KH instability is mainly determined by the electric field generated by charge separation. Significant mixing of electrons occurs across the shear layer, and a fraction of electrons can penetrate deeply into the opposite side fairly far from the vortices across the shear layer

The Robin Hood method - A novel numerical method for electrostatic problems based on a non-local charge transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazic, Predrag; Stefancic, Hrvoje; Abraham, Hrvoje

2006-01-01

We introduce a novel numerical method, named the Robin Hood method, of solving electrostatic problems. The approach of the method is closest to the boundary element methods, although significant conceptual differences exist with respect to this class of methods. The method achieves equipotentiality of conducting surfaces by iterative non-local charge transfer. For each of the conducting surfaces, non-local charge transfers are performed between surface elements, which differ the most from the targeted equipotentiality of the surface. The method is tested against analytical solutions and its wide range of application is demonstrated. The method has appealing technical characteristics. For the problem with N surface elements, the computational complexity of the method essentially scales with N α , where α < 2, the required computer memory scales with N, while the error of the potential decreases exponentially with the number of iterations for many orders of magnitude of the error, without the presence of the Critical Slowing Down. The Robin Hood method could prove useful in other classical or even quantum problems. Some future development ideas for possible applications outside electrostatics are addressed

Sensitivity of core-level spectroscopy to electrostatic environments of nitrile groups: An ab initio study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abid Hussain

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Ab initio quantum chemistry calculations have been performed to probe the influence of hydrogen bonding on the electronic structure of hydrogen cyanide (HCN. Our calculations determine the origin of nitrogen-specific Raman spectral features from resonant inelastic X-ray scattering occurring in the presence of a water molecule and an electric dipole field. The similarity of the two interactions in altering the electronic structure of the nitrogen atom differs only in the covalent contributions from the water molecule. The CN stretching mode as a structural probe was also investigated to study the electronic origin of the anomalous frequency shift of the nitrile group when subjected to hydrogen bonding and an electrostatic dipole field. The major changes in the electronic structure of HCN are electrostatic in nature and originate from dipole-dipole interactions. The relative shifts of the CN stretching frequency are in good agreement with those experimentally observed.

Electrostatic and capillary force directed tunable 3D binary micro- and nanoparticle assemblies on surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, G; Pillai, S; Arpanaei, A; Kingshott, P

2011-01-01

We report a simple, rapid and cost-effective method based on evaporation induced assembly to grow 3D binary colloidal assemblies on a hydrophobic/hydrophilic substrate by simple drop casting. The evaporation of a mixed colloidal drop results in ring-like or uniform area deposition depending on the concentration of particles, and thus assembly occurs at the periphery of a ring or uniformly all over the drop area. Binary colloidal assemblies of different crystal structure are successfully prepared over a wide range of size ratios (γ = small/large) from 0.06 to 0.30 by tuning the γ of the micro- and nanoparticles used during assembly. The growth mechanism of 3D binary colloidal assemblies is investigated and it is found that electrostatic forces facilitate assembly formation until the end of the evaporation process, with capillary forces also playing a role. In addition, the effects of solvent type, humidity, and salt concentration on crystal formation and ordering behaviour are also examined. Furthermore, long range, highly ordered binary colloidal assemblies can be fabricated by the choice of a low conducting solvent combined with evaporation induced assembly.

Investigating ESD sensitivity in electrostatic SiGe MEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sangameswaran, Sandeep; De Coster, Jeroen; Linten, Dimitri; Scholz, Mirko; Thijs, Steven; Groeseneken, Guido; De Wolf, Ingrid

2010-01-01

The sensitivity of electrostatically actuated SiGe microelectromechanical systems to electrostatic discharge events has been investigated in this paper. Torsional micromirrors and RF microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators have been used as two case studies to perform this study. On-wafer electrostatic discharge (ESD) measurement methods, such as the human body model (HBM) and machine model (MM), are discussed. The impact of HBM ESD zap tests on the functionality and behavior of MEMS is explained and the ESD failure levels of MEMS have been verified by failure analysis. It is demonstrated that electrostatic MEMS devices have a high sensitivity to ESD and that it is essential to protect them.

MPBEC, a Matlab Program for Biomolecular Electrostatic Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Vergara-Perez, Sandra; Marucho, Marcelo

2016-01-01

One of the most used and efficient approaches to compute electrostatic properties of biological systems is to numerically solve the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation. There are several software packages available that solve the PB equation for molecules in aqueous electrolyte solutions. Most of these software packages are useful for scientists with specialized training and expertise in computational biophysics. However, the user is usually required to manually take several important choices, depending on the complexity of the biological system, to successfully obtain the numerical solution of the PB equation. This may become an obstacle for researchers, experimentalists, even students with no special training in computational methodologies. Aiming to overcome this limitation, in this article we present MPBEC, a free, cross-platform, open-source software that provides non-experts in the field an easy and efficient way to perform biomolecular electrostatic calculations on single processor computers. MPBEC is a Matlab script based on the Adaptative Poisson Boltzmann Solver, one of the most popular approaches used to solve the PB equation. MPBEC does not require any user programming, text editing or extensive statistical skills, and comes with detailed user-guide documentation. As a unique feature, MPBEC includes a useful graphical user interface (GUI) application which helps and guides users to configure and setup the optimal parameters and approximations to successfully perform the required biomolecular electrostatic calculations. The GUI also incorporates visualization tools to facilitate users pre- and post- analysis of structural and electrical properties of biomolecules.

MPBEC, a Matlab Program for Biomolecular Electrostatic Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Vergara-Perez, Sandra; Marucho, Marcelo

2016-01-01

One of the most used and efficient approaches to compute electrostatic properties of biological systems is to numerically solve the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation. There are several software packages available that solve the PB equation for molecules in aqueous electrolyte solutions. Most of these software packages are useful for scientists with specialized training and expertise in computational biophysics. However, the user is usually required to manually take several important choices, depending on the complexity of the biological system, to successfully obtain the numerical solution of the PB equation. This may become an obstacle for researchers, experimentalists, even students with no special training in computational methodologies. Aiming to overcome this limitation, in this article we present MPBEC, a free, cross-platform, open-source software that provides non-experts in the field an easy and efficient way to perform biomolecular electrostatic calculations on single processor computers. MPBEC is a Matlab script based on the Adaptative Poisson-Boltzmann Solver, one of the most popular approaches used to solve the PB equation. MPBEC does not require any user programming, text editing or extensive statistical skills, and comes with detailed user-guide documentation. As a unique feature, MPBEC includes a useful graphical user interface (GUI) application which helps and guides users to configure and setup the optimal parameters and approximations to successfully perform the required biomolecular electrostatic calculations. The GUI also incorporates visualization tools to facilitate users pre- and post-analysis of structural and electrical properties of biomolecules.

Surface magnetic structures in amorphous ferromagnetic microwires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Usov, N.A., E-mail: usov@obninsk.ru [National University of Science and Technology «MISIS», 119049 Moscow (Russian Federation); Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences, IZMIRAN, 108840 Troitsk, Moscow (Russian Federation); Serebryakova, O.N.; Gudoshnikov, S.A. [National University of Science and Technology «MISIS», 119049 Moscow (Russian Federation); Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences, IZMIRAN, 108840 Troitsk, Moscow (Russian Federation); Tarasov, V.P. [National University of Science and Technology «MISIS», 119049 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2017-05-01

The spatial period of magnetization perturbations that occur near the surface of magnetic nanotube or nanowire under the influence of surface magnetic anisotropy is determined by means of numerical simulation as a function of the sample geometry and material parameters. The surface magnetization distribution obtained is then used to estimate the period of the surface magnetic texture in amorphous microwire of several micrometers in diameter by means of appropriate variational procedure. The period of the surface magnetic texture in amorphous microwire is found to be significantly smaller than the wire diameter. - Highlights: • Magnetic structure may arise near the magnetic nanotube surface under the influence of surface magnetic anisotropy. • The period of the surface magnetization pattern is calculated as a function of the sample geometry. • Similar magnetic structure may exist in amorphous microwire of several micrometers in diameter. • The period of the surface magnetic structure in amorphous wire is found to be significantly smaller than the wire diameter.

Nonlinear dynamics of resistive electrostatic drift waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Korsholm, Søren Bang; Michelsen, Poul; Pécseli, H.L.

1999-01-01

The evolution of weakly nonlinear electrostatic drift waves in an externally imposed strong homogeneous magnetic field is investigated numerically in three spatial dimensions. The analysis is based on a set of coupled, nonlinear equations, which are solved for an initial condition which is pertur......The evolution of weakly nonlinear electrostatic drift waves in an externally imposed strong homogeneous magnetic field is investigated numerically in three spatial dimensions. The analysis is based on a set of coupled, nonlinear equations, which are solved for an initial condition which...... polarity, i.e. a pair of electrostatic convective cells....

Fabrication of graphene/polyaniline composite multilayer films by electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cong, Jiaojiao; Chen, Yuze; Luo, Jing; Liu, Xiaoya

2014-01-01

A novel graphene/polyaniline composite multilayer film was fabricated by electrostatic interactions induced layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, using water dispersible and negatively charged chemically converted graphene (CCG) and positively charged polyaniline (PANI) as building blocks. CCG was achieved through partly reduced graphene oxide, which remained carboxyl group on its surface. The remaining carboxyl groups not only retain the dispersibility of CCG, but also allow the growth of the multilayer films via electrostatic interactions between graphene and PANI. The structure and morphology of the obtained CCG/PANI multilayer film are characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, Ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrum (UV–vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical properties of the resulting film are studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), which showed that the resulting CCG/PANI multilayer film kept electroactivity in neutral solution and showed outstanding cyclic stability up to 100 cycles. Furthermore, the composite film exhibited good electrocatalytic ability toward ascorbic acid (AA) with a linear response from 1×10 −4 to 1.2×10 −3 M with the detect limit of 5×10 −6 M. This study provides a facile and effective strategy to fabricate graphene/PANI nanocomposite film with good electrochemical property, which may find potential applications in electronic devices such as electrochemical sensor. - Graphical abstract: A novel graphene/polyaniline (CCG/PANI) film was prepared by layer-by-layer assembly. - Highlights: • A novel graphene/polyaniline (CCG/PANI) film was prepared by layer-by-layer assembly. • The water dispersible and negatively charged graphene (CCG) was used as building block. • CCG was achieved through partly reduced graphene oxide with carboxyl group on its surface. • CCG/PANI film kept electroactivity in