WorldWideScience

Sample records for positively charged species

  1. An analytic expression for the sheath criterion in magnetized plasmas with multi-charged ion species

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatami, M. M.

    2015-01-01

    The generalized Bohm criterion in magnetized multi-component plasmas consisting of multi-charged positive and negative ion species and electrons is analytically investigated by using the hydrodynamic model. It is assumed that the electrons and negative ion density distributions are the Boltzmann distribution with different temperatures and the positive ions enter into the sheath region obliquely. Our results show that the positive and negative ion temperatures, the orientation of the applied magnetic field and the charge number of positive and negative ions strongly affect the Bohm criterion in these multi-component plasmas. To determine the validity of our derived generalized Bohm criterion, it reduced to some familiar physical condition and it is shown that monotonically reduction of the positive ion density distribution leading to the sheath formation occurs only when entrance velocity of ion into the sheath satisfies the obtained Bohm criterion. Also, as a practical application of the obtained Bohm criterion, effects of the ionic temperature and concentration as well as magnetic field on the behavior of the charged particle density distributions and so the sheath thickness of a magnetized plasma consisting of electrons and singly charged positive and negative ion species are studied numerically

  2. NTERACTION BETWEEN SURFACE CHARGE PHENOMENA AND MULTI-SPECIES DIFFUSION IN CEMENT BASED MATERIALS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johannesson, Björn

    2008-01-01

    Measurements strongly indicate that the ‘inner’ surface of the microscopic structure of cement based materials has a fixed negative charge. This charge contributes to the formation of so-called electrical double layers. In the case of cement based materials the ionic species located in such layers...... are typically potassium -, sodium - and calcium ions. Due to the high specific surface area of hydrated cement, a large amount of ions can be located in theses double layers even if the surface charge is relatively low. The attraction force, caused by the fixed surface charge on ions located close to surfaces......, is one possible explanation for the observed low global diffusion rates in the pore system of positively charged ions compared to the negatively charged ones. Here it is of interest to simulate the multi ionic diffusion behavior when assigning positively charged ions a comparably lower diffusion constant...

  3. Recombination in liquid filled ionisation chambers with multiple charge carrier species: Theoretical and numerical results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguiar, P.; González-Castaño, D.M.; Gómez, F.; Pardo-Montero, J.

    2014-01-01

    Liquid-filled ionisation chambers (LICs) are used in radiotherapy for dosimetry and quality assurance. Volume recombination can be quite important in LICs for moderate dose rates, causing non-linearities in the dose rate response of these detectors, and needs to be corrected for. This effect is usually described with Greening and Boag models for continuous and pulsed radiation respectively. Such models assume that the charge is carried by two different species, positive and negative ions, each of those species with a given mobility. However, LICs operating in non-ultrapure mode can contain different types of electronegative impurities with different mobilities, thus increasing the number of different charge carriers. If this is the case, Greening and Boag models can be no longer valid and need to be reformulated. In this work we present a theoretical and numerical study of volume recombination in parallel-plate LICs with multiple charge carrier species, extending Boag and Greening models. Results from a recent publication that reported three different mobilities in an isooctane-filled LIC have been used to study the effect of extra carrier species on recombination. We have found that in pulsed beams the inclusion of extra mobilities does not affect volume recombination much, a behaviour that was expected because Boag formula for charge collection efficiency does not depend on the mobilities of the charge carriers if the Debye relationship between mobilities and recombination constant holds. This is not the case in continuous radiation, where the presence of extra charge carrier species significantly affects the amount of volume recombination. - Highlights: • Analytical extension of Greening and Boag theories to multiple charge carriers. • Detailed numerical study of process of volume recombination in LICs. • Recombination in pulsed beams is independent of number and mobilities of carriers. • Multiple charge carriers have a significant effect in continuous

  4. Evolution of charged species in propane/air flames: mass-spectrometric analysis and modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodrigues, J M; Agneray, A; Jaffrezic, X; Bellenoue, M; Labuda, S; Leys, C; Chernukho, A P; Migoun, A N; Cenian, A; Savel'ev, A M; Titova, N S; Starik, A M

    2007-01-01

    Experimental and modelling studies of ion formation during combustion of propane/air mixtures are presented. The positive and negative ions mass/charge spectra in propane/air stoichiometric flame at atmospheric pressure are recorded in the range from 0 to 512 atomic mass units. The C 2 H 3 O + and HCO 2 - ions are found to be the most abundant ionic species in the flame front region. By increasing the distance from the flame front the ion composition changes significantly. In the burnt gas region the H 3 O + , NO + , CO 3 - , HCO 3 - ions are found to be the major charged species. To explain the experimental results the extended kinetic model describing the ion formation in flame and in the extraction system of the mass-spectrometer as well as ion-soot interaction is developed. It is shown that the ionic clusters, which are observed experimentally, form during the adiabatic expansion in the extraction system, and the presence of soot particles may change the total positive and negative ion concentrations in the gas phase

  5. The Effect of Charge at the Surface of Silver Nanoparticles on Antimicrobial Activity against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria: A Preliminary Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbaszadegan, A.; Ghahramani, Y.; Nabavizadeh, M.; Gholami, A.; Hemmateenejad, I.; Dorostkar, S.; Sharghi, H.

    2014-01-01

    The bactericidal efficiency of various positively and negatively charged silver nanoparticles has been extensively evaluated in literature, but there is no report on efficacy of neutrally charged silver nanoparticles. The goal of this study is to evaluate the role of electrical charge at the surface of silver nanoparticles on antibacterial activity against a panel of microorganisms. Three different silver nanoparticles were synthesized by different methods, providing three different electrical surface charges (positive, neutral, and negative). The antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was tested against gram-positive (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and Streptococcus pyogenes) and gram-negative (i.e., Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris) bacteria. Well diffusion and micro-dilution tests were used to evaluate the bactericidal activity of the nanoparticles. According to the obtained results, the positively-charged silver nanoparticles showed the highest bactericidal activity against all microorganisms tested. The negatively charged silver nanoparticles had the least and the neutral nanoparticles had intermediate antibacterial activity. The most resistant bacteria were Proteus vulgaris. We found that the surface charge of the silver nanoparticles was a significant factor affecting bactericidal activity on these surfaces. Although the positively charged nanoparticles showed the highest level of effectiveness against the organisms tested, the neutrally charged particles were also potent against most bacterial species.

  6. Charging and heat collection by a positively charged dust grain in a plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delzanno, Gian Luca; Tang, Xian-Zhu

    2014-07-18

    Dust particulates immersed in a quasineutral plasma can emit electrons in several important applications. Once electron emission becomes strong enough, the dust enters the positively charged regime where the conventional orbital-motion-limited (OML) theory can break down due to potential-well effects on trapped electrons. A minimal modification of the trapped-passing boundary approximation in the so-called OML(+) approach is shown to accurately predict the dust charge and heat collection flux for a wide range of dust size and temperature.

  7. Simulation of the interaction of positively charged beams and electron clouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markovik, Aleksandar

    2013-01-01

    The incoherent (head-tail) effect on the bunch due to the interaction with electron clouds (e-clouds) leads to a blow up of the transverse beam size in storage rings operating with positively charged beams. Even more the e-cloud effects are considered to be the main limiting factor for high current, high-brightness or high-luminosity operation of future machines. Therefore the simulation of e-cloud phenomena is a highly active field of research. The main focus in this work was set to a development of a tool for simulation of the interaction of relativistic bunches with non-relativistic parasitic charged particles. The result is the Particle-In-Cell Program MOEVE PIC Tracking which can track a 3D bunch under the influence of its own and external electromagnetic fields but first and foremost it simulates the interaction of relativistic positively charged bunches and initially static electrons. In MOEVE PIC Tracking the conducting beam pipe can be modeled with an arbitrary elliptical cross-section to achieve more accurate space charge field computations for both the bunch and the e-cloud. The simulation of the interaction between positron bunches and electron clouds in this work gave a detailed insight of the behavior of both particle species during and after the interaction. Further and ultimate goal of this work was a fast estimation of the beam stability under the influence of e-clouds in the storage ring. The standard approach to simulate the stability of a single bunch is to track the bunch particles through the linear optics of the machine by multiplying the 6D vector of each particle with the transformation matrices describing the lattice. Thereby the action of the e-cloud on the bunch is approximated by a pre-computed wake kick which is applied on one or more points in the lattice. Following the idea of K.Ohmi the wake kick was pre-computed as a two variable function of the bunch part exiting the e-cloud and the subsequent parts of a bunch which receive a

  8. Position Reconstruction and Charge Distribution in LHCb VELO Silicon Sensors

    CERN Document Server

    Versloot, TW; Akiba, K; Artuso, M; Van Beuzekom, M; Borel, J; Bowcock, TJV; Buytaert, J; Collins, P; Dumps, R; Dwyer, L; Eckstein, D; Eklund, L; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Frei, R; Gersabek M; Haefeli, G; Hennessy, K; Huse, T; Jans, E; John, M; Ketel, TJ; Keune, A; Lastoviicka, T; Mountain, R; Neufeld, N; Parkes, C; Stone, S; Szumlak, T; Tobin, M; Van Lysebetten, A; Viret, S; De Vries, H; Wang, J

    2007-01-01

    In 2006, a partially equipped LHCb VELO detector half was characterised in a test beam experiment (Alignment Challenge and Detector Commissioning, ACDC3). The position reconstruction and resolution for 2-strip R-sensor clusters was studied as a function of strip pitch and track inclination on the sensor surface. The Charge Density Distribution (CDD) is derived from the weighted charge distribution. It becomes asymmetric for tracks non-perpendicular to the strip surface. It is shown that the asymmetric broadening of the CDD around the track intercept position results in a linear eta-function at higher angles (>6 degrees). The sensor spatial resolution is determined both using a linear weighted mean of strip charges, as well as a third-order polynomial approximation via a eta-correction. The experimental results are in agreement with previous simulations. Future studies are underway to determine the angle and pitch dependent parameters which will be implemented in the LHCb VELO cluster position software tools.

  9. Positive, Neutral, and Negative Mass-Charges in General Relativity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borissova L.

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available As shown, any four-dimensional proper vector has two observable projections onto time line, attributed to our world and the mirror world (for a mass-bearing particle, the projections posses are attributed to positive and negative mass-charges. As predicted, there should be a class of neutrally mass-charged particles that inhabit neither our world nor the mirror world. Inside the space-time area (membrane the space rotates at the light speed, and all particles move at as well the light speed. So, the predicted particles of the neutrally mass-charged class should seem as light-like vortices.

  10. A space-charge treatment of the increased concentration of reactive species at the surface of a ceria solid solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zurhelle, Alexander F.; Souza, Roger A. de [Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Tong, Xiaorui; Mebane, David S. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Klein, Andreas [Institute of Materials Science, TU Darmstadt (Germany)

    2017-11-13

    A space-charge theory applicable to concentrated solid solutions (Poisson-Cahn theory) was applied to describe quantitatively as a function of temperature and oxygen partial pressure published data obtained by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the concentration of Ce{sup 3+} (the reactive species) at the surface of the oxide catalyst Ce{sub 0.8}Sm{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}. In contrast to previous theoretical treatments, these calculations clearly indicate that the surface is positively charged and compensated by an attendant negative space-charge zone. The high space-charge potential that develops at the surface (>0.8 V) is demonstrated to be hardly detectable by XPS measurements because of the short extent of the space-charge layer. This approach emphasizes the need to take into account defect interactions and to allow deviations from local charge neutrality when considering the surfaces of oxide catalysts. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  11. Radiation from Accelerating Electric Charges: The Third Derivative of Position

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butterworth, Edward

    2010-03-01

    While some textbooks appear to suggest that acceleration of an electric charge is both a necessary and sufficient cause for the generation of electromagnetic radiation, the question has in fact had an intricate and involved history. In particular, the acceleration of a charge in hyperbolic motion, the behavior of a charge supported against a gravitational force (and its implications for the Equivalence Principle), and a charge accelerated by a workless constraint have been the subject of repeated investigation. The present paper examines specifically the manner in which the third derivative of position enters into the equations of motion, and the implications this has for the emission of radiation. Plass opens his review article with the statement that ``A fundamental property of all charged particles is that electromagnetic energy is radiated whenever they are accelerated'' (Plass 1961; emphasis mine). His treatment of the equations of motion, however, emphasizes the importance of the occurrence of the third derivative of position therein, present in linear motion only when the rate of acceleration is increasing or decreasing. There appears to be general agreement that the presence of a nonzero third derivative indicates that this charge is radiating; but does its absence preclude radiation? This question leads back to the issues of charges accelerated by a uniform gravitational field. We will examine the equations of motion as presented in Fulton & Rohrlich (1960), Plass (1961), Barut (1964), Teitelboim (1970) and Mo & Papas (1971) in the light of more recent literature in an attempt to clarify this question.

  12. Comparing Positively and Negatively Charged Distonic Radical Ions in Phenylperoxyl Forming Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Peggy E; Marshall, David L; Poad, Berwyck L J; Narreddula, Venkateswara R; Kirk, Benjamin B; Trevitt, Adam J; Blanksby, Stephen J

    2018-06-04

    In the gas phase, arylperoxyl forming reactions play a significant role in low-temperature combustion and atmospheric processing of volatile organic compounds. We have previously demonstrated the application of charge-tagged phenyl radicals to explore the outcomes of these reactions using ion trap mass spectrometry. Here, we present a side-by-side comparison of rates and product distributions from the reaction of positively and negatively charge tagged phenyl radicals with dioxygen. The negatively charged distonic radical ions are found to react with significantly greater efficiency than their positively charged analogues. The product distributions of the anion reactions favor products of phenylperoxyl radical decomposition (e.g., phenoxyl radicals and cyclopentadienone), while the comparable fixed-charge cations yield the stabilized phenylperoxyl radical. Electronic structure calculations rationalize these differences as arising from the influence of the charged moiety on the energetics of rate-determining transition states and reaction intermediates within the phenylperoxyl reaction manifold and predict that this influence could extend to intra-molecular charge-radical separations of up to 14.5 Å. Experimental observations of reactions of the novel 4-(1-carboxylatoadamantyl)phenyl radical anion confirm that the influence of the charge on both rate and product distribution can be modulated by increasing the rigidly imposed separation between charge and radical sites. These findings provide a generalizable framework for predicting the influence of charged groups on polarizable radicals in gas phase distonic radical ions. Graphical Abstract.

  13. Numerical and experimental study of the distribution of charged species in a flat stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/Ar flame

    KAUST Repository

    Han, Jie

    2015-03-30

    In this paper, an existing ion reaction mechanism is used to compute the distribution of charged species in a at stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/Ar flame stabilized on top of a McKenna burner. The ion reaction rates and charged species thermodynamic data are updated according to the most recent data. A modified version of the detailed ARAMCO 1.3 reaction mechanism is used to describe the chemistry of neutral species. Because of the important role of CH in the chemi-ionization process, its prediction is improved based on the available measured data. The ability of the ion reaction mechanism to predict the distribution of positive ions is assessed by comparing to the experimental measurements performed in our group. The calculated results are qualitatively consistent with the experimental data, even though there exist quantitative differences that need to be addressed in future work.

  14. Numerical and experimental study of the distribution of charged species in a flat stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/Ar flame

    KAUST Repository

    Han, Jie; Alquaity, Awad B. S.; Belhi, Memdouh; Farroq, Aamir; Sarathy, Mani; Bisetti, Fabrizio

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, an existing ion reaction mechanism is used to compute the distribution of charged species in a at stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/Ar flame stabilized on top of a McKenna burner. The ion reaction rates and charged species thermodynamic data are updated according to the most recent data. A modified version of the detailed ARAMCO 1.3 reaction mechanism is used to describe the chemistry of neutral species. Because of the important role of CH in the chemi-ionization process, its prediction is improved based on the available measured data. The ability of the ion reaction mechanism to predict the distribution of positive ions is assessed by comparing to the experimental measurements performed in our group. The calculated results are qualitatively consistent with the experimental data, even though there exist quantitative differences that need to be addressed in future work.

  15. Study of position resolution for cathode readout MWPC with measurement of induced charge distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiba, J.; Iwasaki, H.; Kageyama, T.; Kuribayashi, S.; Nakamura, K.; Sumiyoshi, T.; Takeda, T.

    1983-01-01

    A readout technqiue of multiwire proportional chambers by measurement of charges induced on cathode strips, orthogonal to anode wires, requires an algorithm to relate the measured charge distribution to the avalanche position. With given chamber parameters and under the influence of noise, resolution limits depend on the chosen algorithm. We have studied the position resolution obtained by the centroid method and by the charge-ratio method, both using three consecutive cathode strips. While the centroid method uses a single number, the center of gravity of the measured charges, the charge-ratio method uses the ratios of the charges Qsub(i-1)/Qsub(i) and Qsub(i+1)/Qsub(i) where Qsub(i) is the largest. To obtain a given resolution, the charge-ratio method generally allows wider cathode strips and therefore a smaller number of readout channels than the centroid method. (orig.)

  16. Two-dimensional position sensitive silicon photodiode as a charged particle detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovacevic, K.; Zadro, M.

    1999-01-01

    A two-dimensional position sensitive silicon photodiode has been tested for measurement of position and energy of charged particles. Position nonlinearity and resolution, as well as energy resolution and ballistic deficit were measured for 5.486 MeV α-particles. The results obtained for different pulse shaping time constants are presented

  17. Method and apparatus for positioning a beam of charged particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michail, M.S.; Woodard, O.C.; Yourke, H.S.

    1975-01-01

    A beam of charged particles is stepped from one predetermined position to another to form a desired pattern on a semiconductor wafer. There is a dynamic correction for the deviation of the actual position of the beam from its predetermined position, so that the beam is applied to the deviated position rather than the predetermined position. Through the location of four registration marks, the writing field is precisely defined. Writing fields may be interconnected by the sharing of registration marks, enabling the construction of chips which are larger than a single writing field. (auth)

  18. Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of positively charged chitosan gold nanoparticles in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Seon Young; Jang, Soo Hwa [Seoul National University, Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute for Veterinary Science (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jin; Jeong, Saeromi; Park, Jin Ho; Ock, Kwang Su [Soongsil University, Department of Chemistry (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Kangtaek [Yonsei University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Sung Ik [Kyung Hee University, College of Environment and Applied Chemistry (Korea, Republic of); Joo, Sang-Woo, E-mail: sjoo@ssu.ac.kr [Soongsil University, Department of Chemistry (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Pan Dong; Lee, So Yeong, E-mail: leeso@snu.ac.kr [Seoul National University, Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute for Veterinary Science (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-12-15

    Cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and mechanisms of cytotoxicity of the positively charged Au nanoparticles (NPs) were examined in A549 cells, which are one of the most characterized pulmonary cellular systems. Positively charged Au NPs were prepared by chemical reduction using chitosan. The dimension and surface charge of Au NPs were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential measurements. The uptake of Au NPs into A549 cells was also monitored using TEM and dark-field microscopy (DFM) and z-stack confocal microRaman spectroscopy. DFM live cell imaging was also performed to monitor the entry of chitosan Au NPs in real time. The cytotoxic assay, using both methylthiazol tetrazolium and lactate dehydrogenase assays revealed that positively charged Au NPs decreased cell viability. Flow cytometry, DNA fragmentation, real-time PCR, and western blot analysis suggest that positively charged chitosan Au NPs provoke cell damage through both apoptotic and necrotic pathways.

  19. Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of positively charged chitosan gold nanoparticles in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Seon Young; Jang, Soo Hwa; Park, Jin; Jeong, Saeromi; Park, Jin Ho; Ock, Kwang Su; Lee, Kangtaek; Yang, Sung Ik; Joo, Sang-Woo; Ryu, Pan Dong; Lee, So Yeong

    2012-01-01

    Cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and mechanisms of cytotoxicity of the positively charged Au nanoparticles (NPs) were examined in A549 cells, which are one of the most characterized pulmonary cellular systems. Positively charged Au NPs were prepared by chemical reduction using chitosan. The dimension and surface charge of Au NPs were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential measurements. The uptake of Au NPs into A549 cells was also monitored using TEM and dark-field microscopy (DFM) and z-stack confocal microRaman spectroscopy. DFM live cell imaging was also performed to monitor the entry of chitosan Au NPs in real time. The cytotoxic assay, using both methylthiazol tetrazolium and lactate dehydrogenase assays revealed that positively charged Au NPs decreased cell viability. Flow cytometry, DNA fragmentation, real-time PCR, and western blot analysis suggest that positively charged chitosan Au NPs provoke cell damage through both apoptotic and necrotic pathways.

  20. Energy distribution extraction of negative charges responsible for positive bias temperature instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Shang-Qing; Yang Hong; Wang Wen-Wu; Tang Bo; Tang Zhao-Yun; Wang Xiao-Lei; Xu Hao; Luo Wei-Chun; Zhao Chao; Yan Jiang; Chen Da-Peng; Ye Tian-Chun

    2015-01-01

    A new method is proposed to extract the energy distribution of negative charges, which results from electron trapping by traps in the gate stack of nMOSFET during positive bias temperature instability (PBTI) stress based on the recovery measurement. In our case, the extracted energy distribution of negative charges shows an obvious dependence on energy, and the energy level of the largest energy density of negative charges is 0.01 eV above the conduction band of silicon. The charge energy distribution below that energy level shows strong dependence on the stress voltage. (paper)

  1. Positive zeta potential of a negatively charged semi-permeable plasma membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Shayandev; Jing, Haoyuan; Das, Siddhartha

    2017-08-01

    The negative charge of the plasma membrane (PM) severely affects the nature of moieties that may enter or leave the cells and controls a large number of ion-interaction-mediated intracellular and extracellular events. In this letter, we report our discovery of a most fascinating scenario, where one interface (e.g., membrane-cytosol interface) of the negatively charged PM shows a positive surface (or ζ) potential, while the other interface (e.g., membrane-electrolyte interface) still shows a negative ζ potential. Therefore, we encounter a completely unexpected situation where an interface (e.g., membrane-cytosol interface) that has a negative surface charge density demonstrates a positive ζ potential. We establish that the attainment of such a property by the membrane can be ascribed to an interplay of the nature of the membrane semi-permeability and the electrostatics of the electric double layer established on either side of the charged membrane. We anticipate that such a membrane property can lead to such capabilities of the cell (in terms of accepting or releasing certain kinds of moieties as well regulating cellular signaling) that was hitherto inconceivable.

  2. Mixed-mode reversed phase/positively charged repulsion chromatography for intact protein separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Ling; Guo, Zhimou; Hu, Zhuo; Liang, Xinmiao

    2017-05-10

    A mixed-mode reversed phase/positively charged repulsion stationary phase C8PN composed of octyl and amino group has been developed for separation of intact protein. Before the separation of proteins, a set of probe compounds were employed to evaluate the chromatographic properties of C8PN, demonstrating typical reversed phase/positively charged repulsion interaction on this stationary phase as estimated. Then the new C8PN stationary phase was used to separate a standard protein mixture on the reversed phase mode. Compared with a commercial C4 stationary phase, it showed different selectivity for some proteins. In order to better understand the properties of C8PN, the effect of acetonitrile content was investigated based on retention equation. Higher values of the equation parameters on C8PN demonstrated that the protein retentions were more sensitive to the change of acetonitrile content. Besides, the influences of buffer salt additives on the protein retentions were also studied. The retention factors of the proteins got larger with the increase of buffer salt concentration, which confirmed the positively charged repulsion interaction on the column. Finally, the C8PN was further applied to separate oxidized- and reduced- forms of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone. Our study indicated the advantages and application potential of mixed-mode reversed phase/positively charged repulsion stationary phase for intact protein separation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. The relation of electrode voltages to charge position in SLC arc and final focus beam position monitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fordham, C.

    1989-01-01

    The position of a charged particle beam can be measured with a Beam Position Monitor (BPM) by converting the voltages induced on its array of electrodes into a position offset from the array's center. Most of the BPMs in the Arcs and Final Focus of the SLC use four stripline electrodes arranged symmetrically around the beam; normalized voltage differences are calculated as the difference divided by the sum of voltages on opposite electrode pairs. The resulting number is multiplied by a conversion factor, denoted in this paper as S b , to give the offset (in millimeters) of the charge from the center of the BPM. Prior to installation in the beam line, the BPMs were calibrated with a charge pulse on a rod. Owing to geometric effects which will be discussed later, a different conversion factor had to be used for calibration. It will be denoted here by S r . This paper gives the results of calculations and measurements of S r and S b for Arc and Final Focus BPMs. This paper also describes the relevant physical properties of the several types of BPMs and calculations of the expected scale factors, the measurement methods used, and gives the results of measurements, which are compared with the theoretical expectations. 2 refs., 18 figs., 7 tabs

  4. Method of improving heterogeneous oil reservoir polymer flooding effect by positively-charged gel profile control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ling; Xia, Huifen

    2018-01-01

    The project of polymer flooding has achieved great success in Daqing oilfield, and the main oil reservoir recovery can be improved by more than 15%. But, for some strong oil reservoir heterogeneity carrying out polymer flooding, polymer solution will be inefficient and invalid loop problem in the high permeability layer, then cause the larger polymer volume, and a significant reduction in the polymer flooding efficiency. Aiming at this problem, it is studied the method that improves heterogeneous oil reservoir polymer flooding effect by positively-charged gel profile control. The research results show that the polymer physical and chemical reaction of positively-charged gel with the residual polymer in high permeability layer can generate three-dimensional network of polymer, plugging high permeable layer, and increase injection pressure gradient, then improve the effect of polymer flooding development. Under the condition of the same dosage, positively-charged gel profile control can improve the polymer flooding recovery factor by 2.3∼3.8 percentage points. Under the condition of the same polymer flooding recovery factor increase value, after positively-charged gel profile control, it can reduce the polymer volume by 50 %. Applying mechanism of positively-charged gel profile control technology is feasible, cost savings, simple construction, and no environmental pollution, therefore has good application prospect.

  5. 2D position sensitive microstrip sensors with charge division along the strip Studies on the position measurement error

    CERN Document Server

    Bassignana, D; Fernandez, M; Jaramillo, R; Lozano, M; Munoz, F.J; Pellegrini, G; Quirion, D; Vila, I; Vitorero, F

    2013-01-01

    Position sensitivity in semiconductor detectors of ionizing radiation is usually achieved by the segmentation of the sensing diode junction in many small sensing elements read out separately as in the case of conventional microstrips and pixel detectors. Alternatively, position sensitivity can be obtained by splitting the ionization signal collected by one single electrode amongst more than one readout channel with the ratio of the collected charges depending on the position where the signal was primary generated. Following this later approach, we implemented the charge division method in a conventional microstrip detector to obtain position sensitivity along the strip. We manufactured a proofof-concept demonstrator where the conventional aluminum electrodes were replaced by slightly resistive electrodes made of strongly doped poly-crystalline silicon and being readout at both strip ends. Here, we partially summarize the laser characterization of this first proof-of-concept demonstrator with special emphasis ...

  6. PEPTIDE SOLUBILITY, STRUCTURE AND CHARGE POSITION EFFECT ON ADSORPTION BY ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mary Trujillo

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Solubility, structure and position of charges in a peptide antigen sequence can be mentioned as being amongst the basic features of adsorption. In order to study their effect on adsorption, seven analogue series were synthesized from a MSP-1 peptide sequence by systematically replacing each one of the positions in the peptide sequence by aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, alanine, asparagine, glutamine or lysine. Such modifications in analogue peptide sequences showed a non-regular tendency regarding solubility and adsorption data. Aspartic acid and Glutamic acid analogue series showed great improvements in adsorption, especially in peptides where Lysine in position 6 and Arginine in position 13 were replaced. Solubility of position 5 analogue was greater than the position 6 analogue in Aspartic acid series; however, the position 6 analogue showed best adsorption results whilst the Aspartic acid in position 5 analogue showed no adsorption in the same conditions. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance structural analysis revealed differences in the -helical structureextension between these analogues. The Aspartic acid in position 6, located in the polar side of the helix, may allow this analogueto fit better onto the adsorption regions suggesting that the local electrostatic charge is responsible for this behavior.

  7. Development of a Sweetness Sensor for Aspartame, a Positively Charged High-Potency Sweetener

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masato Yasuura

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Taste evaluation technology has been developed by several methods, such as sensory tests, electronic tongues and a taste sensor based on lipid/polymer membranes. In particular, the taste sensor can individually quantify five basic tastes without multivariate analysis. However, it has proven difficult to develop a sweetness sensor, because sweeteners are classified into three types according to the electric charges in an aqueous solution; that is, no charge, negative charge and positive charge. Using membrane potential measurements, the taste-sensing system needs three types of sensor membrane for each electric charge type of sweetener. Since the commercially available sweetness sensor was only intended for uncharged sweeteners, a sweetness sensor for positively charged high-potency sweeteners such as aspartame was developed in this study. Using a lipid and plasticizers, we fabricated various lipid/polymer membranes for the sweetness sensor to identify the suitable components of the sensor membranes. As a result, one of the developed sensors showed responses of more than 20 mV to 10 mM aspartame and less than 5 mV to any other taste. The responses of the sensor depended on the concentration of aspartame. These results suggested that the developed sweetness sensor had high sensitivity to and high selectivity for aspartame.

  8. Development of a sweetness sensor for aspartame, a positively charged high-potency sweetener.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasuura, Masato; Tahara, Yusuke; Ikezaki, Hidekazu; Toko, Kiyoshi

    2014-04-23

    Taste evaluation technology has been developed by several methods, such as sensory tests, electronic tongues and a taste sensor based on lipid/polymer membranes. In particular, the taste sensor can individually quantify five basic tastes without multivariate analysis. However, it has proven difficult to develop a sweetness sensor, because sweeteners are classified into three types according to the electric charges in an aqueous solution; that is, no charge, negative charge and positive charge. Using membrane potential measurements, the taste-sensing system needs three types of sensor membrane for each electric charge type of sweetener. Since the commercially available sweetness sensor was only intended for uncharged sweeteners, a sweetness sensor for positively charged high-potency sweeteners such as aspartame was developed in this study. Using a lipid and plasticizers, we fabricated various lipid/polymer membranes for the sweetness sensor to identify the suitable components of the sensor membranes. As a result, one of the developed sensors showed responses of more than 20 mV to 10 mM aspartame and less than 5 mV to any other taste. The responses of the sensor depended on the concentration of aspartame. These results suggested that the developed sweetness sensor had high sensitivity to and high selectivity for aspartame.

  9. A two-dimensional position sensitive gas chamber with scanned charge transfer readout

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomez, F. E-mail: faustgr@usc.es; Iglesias, A.; Lobato, R.; Mosquera, J.; Pardo, J.; Pena, J.; Pazos, A.; Pombar, M.; Rodriguez, A

    2003-10-21

    We have constructed and tested a two-dimensional position sensitive parallel-plate gas ionization chamber with scanned charge transfer readout. The scan readout method described here is based on the development of a new position-dependent charge transfer technique. It has been implemented by using gate strips perpendicularly oriented to the collector strips. This solution reduces considerably the number of electronic readout channels needed to cover large detector areas. The use of a 25 {mu}m thick kapton etched circuit allows high charge transfer efficiency with a low gating voltage, consequently needing a very simple commutating circuit. The present prototype covers 8x8 cm{sup 2} with a pixel size of 1.27x1.27 mm{sup 2}. Depending on the intended use and beam characteristics a smaller effective pixel is feasible and larger active areas are possible. This detector can be used for X-ray or other continuous beam intensity profile monitoring.

  10. A two-dimensional position sensitive gas chamber with scanned charge transfer readout

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomez, F.; Iglesias, A.; Lobato, R.; Mosquera, J.; Pardo, J.; Pena, J.; Pazos, A.; Pombar, M.; Rodriguez, A.

    2003-01-01

    We have constructed and tested a two-dimensional position sensitive parallel-plate gas ionization chamber with scanned charge transfer readout. The scan readout method described here is based on the development of a new position-dependent charge transfer technique. It has been implemented by using gate strips perpendicularly oriented to the collector strips. This solution reduces considerably the number of electronic readout channels needed to cover large detector areas. The use of a 25 μm thick kapton etched circuit allows high charge transfer efficiency with a low gating voltage, consequently needing a very simple commutating circuit. The present prototype covers 8x8 cm 2 with a pixel size of 1.27x1.27 mm 2 . Depending on the intended use and beam characteristics a smaller effective pixel is feasible and larger active areas are possible. This detector can be used for X-ray or other continuous beam intensity profile monitoring

  11. Triboelectricity: macroscopic charge patterns formed by self-arraying ions on polymer surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgo, Thiago A L; Ducati, Telma R D; Francisco, Kelly R; Clinckspoor, Karl J; Galembeck, Fernando; Galembeck, Sergio E

    2012-05-15

    Tribocharged polymers display macroscopically patterned positive and negative domains, verifying the fractal geometry of electrostatic mosaics previously detected by electric probe microscopy. Excess charge on contacting polyethylene (PE) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) follows the triboelectric series but with one caveat: net charge is the arithmetic sum of patterned positive and negative charges, as opposed to the usual assumption of uniform but opposite signal charging on each surface. Extraction with n-hexane preferentially removes positive charges from PTFE, while 1,1-difluoroethane and ethanol largely remove both positive and negative charges. Using suitable analytical techniques (electron energy-loss spectral imaging, infrared microspectrophotometry and carbonization/colorimetry) and theoretical calculations, the positive species were identified as hydrocarbocations and the negative species were identified as fluorocarbanions. A comprehensive model is presented for PTFE tribocharging with PE: mechanochemical chain homolytic rupture is followed by electron transfer from hydrocarbon free radicals to the more electronegative fluorocarbon radicals. Polymer ions self-assemble according to Flory-Huggins theory, thus forming the experimentally observed macroscopic patterns. These results show that tribocharging can only be understood by considering the complex chemical events triggered by mechanical action, coupled to well-established physicochemical concepts. Patterned polymers can be cut and mounted to make macroscopic electrets and multipoles.

  12. Small interfering RNA delivery through positively charged polymer nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dragoni, Luca; Cesana, Alberto; Moscatelli, Davide; Ferrari, Raffaele; Morbidelli, Massimo; Lupi, Monica; Falcetta, Francesca; Ubezio, Paolo; D’Incalci, Maurizio

    2016-01-01

    Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is receiving increasing attention with regard to the treatment of many genetic diseases, both acquired and hereditary, such as cancer and diabetes. Being a high molecular weight (MW) polyanion, siRNA is not able to cross a cell membrane, and in addition it is unstable in physiological conditions. Accordingly, a biocompatible nanocarrier able to deliver siRNA into cells is needed. In this work, we synthesized biocompatible positively charged nanoparticles (NPs) following a two-step process that involves ring opening polymerization (ROP) and emulsion free radical polymerization (EFRP). Firstly, we proved the possibility of fine tuning the NPs’ characteristics (e.g. size and surface charge) by changing the synthetic process parameters. Then the capability in loading and delivering undamaged siRNA into a cancer cell cytoplasm has been shown. This latter process occurs through the biodegradation of the polymer constituting the NPs, whose kinetics can be tuned by adjusting the polymer’s MW. Finally, the ability of NPs to carry siRNA inside the cells in order to inhibit their target gene has been demonstrated using green flourescent protein positive cells. (paper)

  13. Coulombic interactions and multicomponent ionic dispersion during transport of charged species in heterogeneous porous media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muniruzzaman, Muhammad; Rolle, Massimo

    Electrochemical cross-coupling plays a significant role for transport of charged species in porous media [1, 2]. In this study we performed flow-through experiments in a quasi two-dimensional setup using dilute solutions of strong electrolytes to study the influence of charge interactions on mass...... occurred. To quantitatively interpret the outcomes of our laboratory experiments in the spatially variable flow fields we developed a two dimensional numerical model based on a multicomponent formulation, on charge conservation and on the accurate description of transverse dispersion. The results...... of the multicomponent transport simulations were compared with the high-resolution (5 mm spacing) concentration measurements of the ionic species at the outlet of the flow-through domain. The excellent agreement between the measured concentrations and the results of purely forward numerical simulations demonstrates...

  14. Investigation of the electrochemical and electrocatalytic behavior of positively charged gold nanoparticle and L-cysteine film on an Au electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Lingyan; Yuan Ruo; Chai Yaqing; Li Xuelian

    2007-01-01

    Positively charged gold nanoparticle (positively charged nano-Au), which was prepared, characterized by ξ-potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used in combination with L-cysteine to fabricate a modified electrode for electrocatalytic reaction of biomolecules. Compared with electrodes modified by negatively charged gold nanoparticle/L-cysteine, or L-cysteine alone, the electrode modified by the positively charged gold nanoparticle/L-cysteine exhibited excellent electrochemical behavior toward the oxidation of biomolecules such as ascorbic acid, dopamine and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the proposed mechanism for electrocatalytic response of positively charged gold nanoparticle was discussed. The immunosensor showed a specific to ascorbic acid in the range 5.1 x 10 -7 -6.7 x 10 -4 M and a low detection limit of 1.5 x 10 -7 M. The experimental results demonstrate that positively charged gold nanoparticle have more efficient electrocatalytic reaction than negatively charged gold nanoparticle, which opens up new approach for fabricating sensor

  15. Positively charged microporous ceramic membrane for the removal of Titan Yellow through electrostatic adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Xiuting; Li, Na; Zhu, Mengfu; Zhang, Lili; Deng, Yu; Deng, Cheng

    2016-06-01

    To develop a depth filter based on the electrostatic adsorption principle, positively charged microporous ceramic membrane was prepared from a diatomaceous earth ceramic membrane. The internal surface of the highly porous ceramic membrane was coated with uniformly distributed electropositive nano-Y2O3 coating. The dye removal performance was evaluated through pressurized filtration tests using Titan Yellow aqueous solution. It showed that positively charged microporous ceramic membrane exhibited a flow rate of 421L/(m(2)·hr) under the trans-membrane pressure of 0.03bar. Moreover it could effectively remove Titan Yellow with feed concentration of 10mg/L between pH3 to 8. The removal rate increased with the enhancement of the surface charge properties with a maximum rejection of 99.6%. This study provides a new and feasible method of removing organic dyes in wastewater. It is convinced that there will be a broad market for the application of charged ceramic membrane in the field of dye removal or recovery from industry wastewater. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Charge-transfer interactions of Cr species with DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowicka, Anna M; Matysiak-Brynda, Edyta; Hepel, Maria

    2017-10-01

    Interactions of Cr species with nucleic acids in living organisms depend strongly on Cr oxidation state and the environmental conditions. As the effects of these interactions range from benign to pre-mutagenic to carcinogenic, careful assessment of the hazard they pose to human health is necessary. We have investigated methods that would enable quantifying the DNA damage caused by Cr species under varying environmental conditions, including UV, O 2 , and redox potential, using simple instrumental techniques which could be in future combined into a field-deployable instrumentation. We have employed electrochemical quartz crystal nanogravimetry (EQCN), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to evaluate the extent of DNA damage expressed in terms of guanine oxidation yield (η) and changes in specific characteristics provided by these techniques. The effects of the interactions of Cr species with DNA were analyzed using a model calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) film on a gold electrode (Au@ctDNA) in different media, including: (i) Cr(VI), (ii) Cr(VI) reduced at -0.2V, (iii) Cr(III)+UV radiation+O 2 , and Cr(III), obtaining the η values: 7.4±1.4, 1.5±0.4, 1.1±0.31%, and 0%, respectively, thus quantifying the hazard posed. The EIS measurements have enabled utilizing the decrease in charge-transfer resistance (R ct ) for ferri/ferrocyanide redox probe at an Au@ctDNA electrode to assess the oxidative ctDNA damage by Cr(VI) species. In this case, circular dichroism indicates an extensive damage to the ctDNA hydrogen bonding. On the other hand, Cr(III) species have not induced any damage to ctDNA, although the EQCN measurements show an electrostatic binding to DNA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Position readout by charge division in large two-dimensional detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alberi, J.L.

    1976-10-01

    The improvement in readout spatial resolution for charge division systems with subdivided readout electrodes has been analyzed. This readout forms the position and sum signals by a linear, unambiguous analogue summation technique. It is shown that the readout resolution is a function of only electrode capacitance and shaping parameters. The line width improves as 1/N/sup 1 / 2 /, where N is the number of electrode subdivisions

  18. Deciphering the "chemical" nature of the exotic isotopes of hydrogen by the MC-QTAIM analysis: the positively charged muon and the muonic helium as new members of the periodic table.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goli, Mohammad; Shahbazian, Shant

    2014-04-14

    This report is a primarily survey on the chemical nature of some exotic species containing the positively charged muon and the muonic helium, i.e., the negatively charged muon plus helium nucleus, as exotic isotopes of hydrogen, using the newly developed multi-component quantum theory of atoms in molecules (MC-QTAIM) analysis, employing ab initio non-Born-Oppenhiemer wavefunctions. Accordingly, the "atoms in molecules" analysis performed on various asymmetric exotic isotopomers of the hydrogen molecule, recently detected experimentally [Science, 2011, 331, 448], demonstrates that both the exotic isotopes are capable of forming atoms in molecules and retaining the identity of hydrogen atoms. Various derived properties of atomic basins containing the muonic helium cast no doubt that apart from its short life time, it is a heavier isotope of hydrogen while the properties of basins containing the positively charged muon are more remote from those of the orthodox hydrogen basins, capable of appreciable donation of electrons as well as large charge polarization. However, with some tolerance, they may also be categorized as hydrogen basins though with a smaller electronegativity. All in all, the present study also clearly demonstrates that the MC-QTAIM analysis is an efficient approach to decipher the chemical nature of species containing exotic constituents, which are difficult to elucidate by experimental and/or alternative theoretical schemes.

  19. Directional rolling of positively charged nanoparticles along a flexibility gradient on long DNA molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Suehyun; Joo, Heesun; Kim, Jun Soo

    2018-01-31

    Directing the motion of molecules/colloids in any specific direction is of great interest in many applications of chemistry, physics, and biological sciences, where regulated positioning or transportation of materials is highly desired. Using Brownian dynamics simulations of coarse-grained models of a long, double-stranded DNA molecule and positively charged nanoparticles, we observed that the motion of a single nanoparticle bound to and wrapped by the DNA molecule can be directed along a gradient of DNA local flexibility. The flexibility gradient is constructed along a 0.8 kilobase-pair DNA molecule such that local persistence length decreases gradually from 50 nm to 40 nm, mimicking a gradual change in sequence-dependent flexibility. Nanoparticles roll over a long DNA molecule from less flexible regions towards more flexible ones as a result of the decreasing energetic cost of DNA bending and wrapping. In addition, the rolling becomes slightly accelerated as the positive charge of nanoparticles decreases due to a lower free energy barrier of DNA detachment from charged nanoparticle for processive rolling. This study suggests that the variation in DNA local flexibility can be utilized in constructing and manipulating supramolecular assemblies of DNA molecules and nanoparticles in structural DNA nanotechnology.

  20. Electron beam patterning for writing of positively charged gold colloidal nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zafri, Hadar; Azougi, Jonathan; Girshevitz, Olga; Zalevsky, Zeev; Zitoun, David

    2018-02-01

    Synthesis at the nanoscale has progressed at a very fast pace during the last decades. The main challenge today lies in precise localization to achieve efficient nanofabrication of devices. In the present work, we report on a novel method for the patterning of gold metallic nanoparticles into nanostructures on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The fabrication makes use of relatively accessible equipment, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and wet chemical synthesis. The electron beam implants electrons into the insulating material, which further anchors the positively charged Au nanoparticles by electrostatic attraction. The novel fabrication method was applied to several substrates useful in microelectronics to add plasmonic particles. The resolution and surface density of the deposition were tuned, respectively, by the electron energy (acceleration voltage) and the dose of electronic irradiation. We easily achieved the smallest written feature of 68 ± 18 nm on SOI, and the technique can be extended to any positively charged nanoparticles, while the resolution is in principle limited by the particle size distribution and the scattering of the electrons in the substrate. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  1. Daylight-driven photocatalytic degradation of ionic dyes with negatively surface-charged In{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanoflowers: dye charge-dependent roles of reactive species

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ge, Suxiang [Xuchang University, Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province, Institute of Surface Micro and Nano Materials, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China); Cai, Lejuan, E-mail: 494169965@qq.com [Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry (China); Li, Dapeng, E-mail: lidapengabc@126.com; Fa, Wenjun; Zhang, Yange; Zheng, Zhi [Xuchang University, Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province, Institute of Surface Micro and Nano Materials, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China)

    2015-12-15

    Even though dye degradation is a successful application of semiconductor photocatalysis, the roles of reactive species in dye degradation have not received adequate attention. In this study, we systematically investigated the degradation of two cationic dyes (rhodamine B and methylene blue) and two anionic dyes (methyl orange and orange G) over negatively surface-charged In{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanoflowers synthesized at 80 °C under indoor daylight lamp irradiation. It is notable to find In{sub 2}S{sub 3} nanoflowers were more stable in anionic dyes degradation compared to that in cationic dyes removal. The active species trapping experiments indicated photogenerated electrons were mainly responsible for cationic dyes degradation, but holes were more important in anionic dyes degradation. A surface-charge-dependent role of reactive species in ionic dye degradation was proposed for revealing such interesting phenomenon. This study would provide a new insight for preparing highly efficient daylight-driven photocatalyst for ionic dyes degradation.

  2. Solitons in dusty plasmas with positive dust grains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baluku, T. K.; Hellberg, M. A.; Mace, R. L.

    2008-01-01

    Although ''typical'' micrometer-sized dust grains in a space or laboratory plasma are often negatively charged because of collisions with the mobile electrons, there are environments in which grains may take on a positive charge. We consider a dusty plasma composed of electrons, positive ions and positive dust grains, and use the fluid dynamic paradigm to identify existence domains in parameter space for both dust-acoustic (DA) and dust-modified ion-acoustic (DIA) solitons. Only positive potential DA solitons are found. This represents an expected antisymmetry with the case of negative dust, where previously only negative solitons were reported. However, whereas for negative dust DIA solitons of either sign of potential may exist, we find that for the case of positive dust, DIA solitons are restricted to positive potentials only. The results for both positive and negative dust are consistent with an hypothesis that, in the absence of flows, the sign(s) of the soliton potential coincide(s) with the sign(s) of the species whose inertia is included in the calculation; i.e., the cold, supersonic species present in the plasma

  3. Negative and positive magnetoresistance in bilayer graphene: Effects of weak localization and charge inhomogeneity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Yungfu; Bae, Myung-Ho; Chialvo, Cesar; Dirks, Travis; Bezryadin, Alexey; Mason, Nadya

    2011-01-01

    We report measurements of magnetoresistance in bilayer graphene as a function of gate voltage (carrier density) and temperature. We examine multiple contributions to the magnetoresistance, including those of weak localization (WL), universal conductance fluctuations (UCF), and inhomogeneous charge transport. A clear WL signal is evident at all measured gate voltages (in the hole doped regime) and temperature ranges (from 0.25 to 4.3 K), and the phase coherence length extracted from the WL data does not saturate at low temperatures. The WL data is fit to demonstrate that the electron-electron Nyquist scattering is the major source of phase decoherence. A decrease in UCF amplitude with increase in gate voltage and temperature is shown to be consistent with a corresponding decrease in the phase coherence length. In addition, a weak positive magnetoresistance at higher magnetic fields is observed, and attributed to inhomogeneous charge transport. -- Research highlights: → Weak localization theory describes low-field magnetoresistance in bilayer graphene. → Electron-electron Nyquist scattering limits phase coherence in bilayer graphene. → Positive magnetoresistance reveals charge inhomogeneity in bilayer graphene.

  4. In situ NMR spectroscopy of supercapacitors: insight into the charge storage mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hao; Forse, Alexander C; Griffin, John M; Trease, Nicole M; Trognko, Lorie; Taberna, Pierre-Louis; Simon, Patrice; Grey, Clare P

    2013-12-18

    Electrochemical capacitors, commonly known as supercapacitors, are important energy storage devices with high power capabilities and long cycle lives. Here we report the development and application of in situ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodologies to study changes at the electrode-electrolyte interface in working devices as they charge and discharge. For a supercapacitor comprising activated carbon electrodes and an organic electrolyte, NMR experiments carried out at different charge states allow quantification of the number of charge storing species and show that there are at least two distinct charge storage regimes. At cell voltages below 0.75 V, electrolyte anions are increasingly desorbed from the carbon micropores at the negative electrode, while at the positive electrode there is little change in the number of anions that are adsorbed as the voltage is increased. However, above a cell voltage of 0.75 V, dramatic increases in the amount of adsorbed anions in the positive electrode are observed while anions continue to be desorbed at the negative electrode. NMR experiments with simultaneous cyclic voltammetry show that supercapacitor charging causes marked changes to the local environments of charge storing species, with periodic changes of their chemical shift observed. NMR calculations on a model carbon fragment show that the addition and removal of electrons from a delocalized system should lead to considerable increases in the nucleus-independent chemical shift of nearby species, in agreement with our experimental observations.

  5. Reduction of digital errors of digital charge division type position-sensitive detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uritani, A.; Yoshimura, K.; Takenaka, Y.; Mori, C.

    1994-01-01

    It is well known that ''digital errors'', i.e. differential non-linearity, appear in a position profile of radiation interactions when the profile is obtained with a digital charge-division-type position-sensitive detector. Two methods are presented to reduce the digital errors. They are the methods using logarithmic amplifiers and a weighting function. The validities of these two methods have been evaluated mainly by computer simulation. These methods can considerably reduce the digital errors. The best results are obtained when both methods are applied. ((orig.))

  6. Microporous nano-MgO/diatomite ceramic membrane with high positive surface charge for tetracycline removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Xian; Liu, Zhimeng; Deng, Cheng; Zhu, Mengfu; Wang, Deyin; Li, Kui; Deng, Yu; Jiang, Mingming

    2016-12-15

    A novel microporous nano-MgO/diatomite ceramic membrane with high positive surface charge was prepared, including synthesis of precursor colloid, dip-coating and thermal decomposition. Combined SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS studies show the nano-MgO is irregularly distributed on the membrane surface or pore walls and forms a positively charged nano coating. And the nano-MgO coating is firmly attached to the diatomite membrane via SiO chemical bond. Thus the nano-MgO/diatomite membrane behaves strong electropositivity with the isoelectric point of 10.8. Preliminary filtration tests indicate that the as-prepared nano-MgO/diatomite membrane could remove approximately 99.7% of tetracycline in water through electrostatic adsorption effect. The desirable electrostatic property enables the nano-MgO/diatomite membrane to be a candidate for removal of organic pollutants from water. And it is convinced that there will be a great application prospect of charged ceramic membrane in water treatment field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Charge dividing mechanism in position-sensitive detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radeka, V.; Rehak, P.

    1978-01-01

    A complete charge-division mechanism, including both the diffusion and the electromagnetic wave propagation on resistive electrodes, is presented. The charge injected into such a transmission line divides between the two ends according to the ratio of resistances and independently of the value of the line resistance, of the propagation mechanism and of the distribution of inductance and capacitance along the line. The shortest charge division time is achieved for Rl = 2π (L/C)/sup 1/2), where R, L, C are resistance, inductance and capacitance per unit length and l is the length of the line

  8. Study of electric field distorted by space charges under positive lightning impulse voltage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zezhong; Geng, Yinan

    2018-03-01

    Actually, many insulation problems are related to electric fields. And measuring electric fields is an important research topic of high-voltage engineering. In particular, the electric field distortion caused by space charge is the basis of streamer theory, and thus quantitatively measuring the Poisson electric field caused by space charge is significant to researching the mechanism of air gap discharge. In this paper, we used our photoelectric integrated sensor to measure the electric field distribution in a 1-m rod-plane gap under positive lightning impulse voltage. To verify the reliability of this quantitative measurement, we compared the measured results with calculated results from a numerical simulation. The electric-field time domain waveforms on the axis of the 1-m rod-plane out of the space charge zone were measured with various electrodes. The Poisson electric fields generated by space charge were separated from the Laplace electric field generated by applied voltages, and the amplitudes and variations were measured for various applied voltages and at various locations. This work also supplies the feasible basis for directly measuring strong electric field under high voltage.

  9. On a possibility of creation of positive space charge cloud in a system with magnetic insulation of electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goncharov, A.A.; Dobrovol'skii, A.M.; Dunets, S.P.; Evsyukov, A.N.; Protsenko, I.M.

    2009-01-01

    We describe a new approach for creation an effective, low-cost, low-maintenance axially symmetric plasma optical tools for focusing and manipulating high-current beams of negatively charged particles, electrons and negative ions. This approach is based on fundamental plasma optical concept of magnetic insulation of electrons and non-magnetized positive ions providing creation of controlled uncompensated cloud of the space charge. The axially symmetric electrostatic plasma optical lens is well-known and well developed tool where this concept is used successfully. This provides control and focusing high-current positive ion beams in wide range of parameters. Here for the first time we present optimistic experimental results describing the application of an idea of magnetic insulation of electrons for generation of the stable cloud of positive space charge by focusing onto axis the converging stream of heavy ions produced by circular accelerator with closed electron drift. The estimations of a maximal concentration of uncompensated cloud of positive ions are also made

  10. Magnetic Generation due to Mass Difference between Charge Carriers

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Shi; Dan, JiaKun; Chen, ZiYu; Li, JianFeng

    2013-01-01

    The possibility of spontaneous magnetization due to the "asymmetry in mass" of charge carriers in a system is investigated. Analysis shows that when the masses of positive and negative charge carriers are identical, no magnetization is predicted. However, if the masses of two species are different, spontaneous magnetic field would appear, either due to the equipartition of magnetic energy or due to fluctuations together with a feedback mechanism. The conditions for magnetization to occur are ...

  11. Positive column of a glow discharge in neon with charged dust grains (a review)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polyakov, D. N., E-mail: cryolab@ihed.ras.ru; Shumova, V. V.; Vasilyak, L. M. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures (Russian Federation)

    2017-03-15

    The effect of charged micron-size dust grains (microparticles) on the electric parameters of the positive column of a low-pressure dc glow discharge in neon has been studied experimentally and numerically. Numerical analysis is carried out in the diffusion-drift approximation with allowance for the interaction of dust grains with metastable neon atoms. In a discharge with a dust grain cloud, the longitudinal electric field increases. As the number density of dust grains in an axisymmetric cylindrical dust cloud rises, the growth of the electric field saturates. It is shown that the contribution of metastable atoms to ionization is higher in a discharge with dust grains, in spite of the quenching of metastable atoms on dust grains. The processes of charging of dust grains and the dust cloud are considered. As the number density of dust grains rises, their charge decreases, while the space charge of the dust cloud increases. The results obtained can be used in plasma technologies involving microparticles.

  12. Positive column of a glow discharge in neon with charged dust grains (a review)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polyakov, D. N.; Shumova, V. V.; Vasilyak, L. M.

    2017-01-01

    The effect of charged micron-size dust grains (microparticles) on the electric parameters of the positive column of a low-pressure dc glow discharge in neon has been studied experimentally and numerically. Numerical analysis is carried out in the diffusion-drift approximation with allowance for the interaction of dust grains with metastable neon atoms. In a discharge with a dust grain cloud, the longitudinal electric field increases. As the number density of dust grains in an axisymmetric cylindrical dust cloud rises, the growth of the electric field saturates. It is shown that the contribution of metastable atoms to ionization is higher in a discharge with dust grains, in spite of the quenching of metastable atoms on dust grains. The processes of charging of dust grains and the dust cloud are considered. As the number density of dust grains rises, their charge decreases, while the space charge of the dust cloud increases. The results obtained can be used in plasma technologies involving microparticles.

  13. Effect of positively charged particles on sputtering damage of organic electro-luminescent diodes with Mg:Ag alloy electrodes fabricated by facing target sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kouji Suemori

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the influence of the positively charged particles generated during sputtering on the performances of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs with Mg:Ag alloy electrodes fabricated by sputtering. The number of positively charged particles increased by several orders of magnitude when the target current was increased from 0.1 A to 2.5 A. When a high target current was used, many positively charged particles with energies higher than the bond energy of single C–C bonds, which are typically found in organic molecules, were generated. In this situation, we observed serious OLED performance degradation. On the other hand, when a low target current was used, OLED performance degradation was not observed when the number of positively charged particles colliding with the organic underlayer increased. We concluded that sputtering damage caused by positively charged particles can be avoided by using a low target current.

  14. Positively versus negatively charged moral emotion expectancies in adolescence: the role of situational context and the developing moral self.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krettenauer, Tobias; Johnston, Megan

    2011-09-01

    The study analyses adolescents' positively charged versus negatively charged moral emotion expectancies. Two hundred and five students (M= 14.83 years, SD= 2.21) participated in an interview depicting various situations in which a moral norm was either regarded or transgressed. Emotion expectancies were assessed for specific emotions (pride, guilt) as well as for overall strength and valence. In addition, self-importance of moral values was measured by a questionnaire. Results revealed that positively charged emotion expectancies were more pronounced in contexts of prosocial action than in the context of moral transgressions, whereas the opposite was true for negatively charged emotions. At the same time, expectations of guilt and pride were substantially related to the self-importance of moral values. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

  15. Positively charged phosphorus as a hydrogen bond acceptor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anne Schou; Du, Lin; Kjærgaard, Henrik Grum

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) is an element that is essential to the life of all organisms, and the atmospheric detection of phosphine suggests the existence of a volatile biogeochemical P cycle. Here, we investigate the ability of P to participate in the formation of OH···P hydrogen bonds. Three bimolecular......-stretching frequency red shifts and quantum chemical calculations, we find that P is an acceptor atom similar in strength to O and S and that all three P, O, and S atoms are weaker acceptors than N. The quantum chemical calculations show that both H and P in the OH···P hydrogen bond have partial positive charges......, as expected from their electronegativities. However, the electrostatic potentials show a negative potential area on the electron density surface around P that facilitates formation of hydrogen bonds....

  16. Amine reactivity with charged sulfuric acid clusters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. R. Bzdek

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The distribution of charged species produced by electrospray of an ammonium sulfate solution in both positive and negative polarities is examined using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS. Positively-charged ammonium bisulfate cluster composition differs significantly from negatively-charged cluster composition. For positively-charged clusters all sulfuric acid is neutralized to bisulfate, whereas for negatively-charged clusters the degree of sulfuric acid neutralization is cluster size-dependent. With increasing cluster size (and, therefore, a decreasing role of charge, both positively- and negatively-charged cluster compositions converge toward ammonium bisulfate. The reactivity of negatively-charged sulfuric acid-ammonia clusters with dimethylamine and ammonia is also investigated by FTICR-MS. Two series of negatively-charged clusters are investigated: [(HSO4(H2SO4x] and [(NH4x(HSO4x+1(H2SO43]. Dimethylamine substitution for ammonia in [(NH4 x(HSO4 x+1(H2SO43] clusters is nearly collision-limited, and subsequent addition of dimethylamine to neutralize H2SO4 to bisulfate is within one order of magnitude of the substitution rate. Dimethylamine addition to [(HSO4 (H2SO4 x] clusters is either not observed or very slow. The results of this study indicate that amine chemistry will be evident and important only in large ambient negative ions (>m/z 400, whereas amine chemistry may be evident in small ambient positive ions. Addition of ammonia to unneutralized clusters occurs at a rate that is ~2–3 orders of magnitude slower than incorporation of dimethylamine either by substitution or addition

  17. Onset of turbulence induced by electron nonthermality in a complex plasma in presence of positively charged dust grains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susmita Sarkar

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper onset of turbulence has been detected from the study of non linear dust acoustic wave propagation in a complex plasma considering electrons nonthermal and equilibrium dust charge positive. Dust grains are charged by secondary electron emission process. Our analysis shows that increase in electron nonthermality makes the grain charging process faster by reducing the magnitude of the nonadiabaticity induced pseudo viscosity. Consequently nature of dust charge variation changes from nonadiabatic to adiabatic one. For further increase of electron nonthermality, this pseudo viscosity becomes negative and hence generates a turbulent grain charging behaviour. This turbulent grain charging phenomenon is exclusively the outcome of this nonlinear study which was not found in linear analysis.

  18. Genome-wide analysis of positively selected genes in seasonal and non-seasonal breeding species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuhuan Meng

    Full Text Available Some mammals breed throughout the year, while others breed only at certain times of year. These differences in reproductive behavior can be explained by evolution. We identified positively-selected genes in two sets of species with different degrees of relatedness including seasonal and non-seasonal breeding species, using branch-site models. After stringent filtering by sum of pairs scoring, we revealed that more genes underwent positive selection in seasonal compared with non-seasonal breeding species. Positively-selected genes were verified by cDNA mapping of the positive sites with the corresponding cDNA sequences. The design of the evolutionary analysis can effectively lower the false-positive rate and thus identify valid positive genes. Validated, positively-selected genes, including CGA, DNAH1, INVS, and CD151, were related to reproductive behaviors such as spermatogenesis and cell proliferation in non-seasonal breeding species. Genes in seasonal breeding species, including THRAP3, TH1L, and CMTM6, may be related to the evolution of sperm and the circadian rhythm system. Identification of these positively-selected genes might help to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying seasonal and non-seasonal reproductive behaviors.

  19. Studies of the pulse charge of lead-acid batteries for PV applications. Part I. Factors influencing the mechanism of the pulse charge of the positive plate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirchev, A.; Perrin, M.; Lemaire, E.; Karoui, F.; Mattera, F. [Commissariat de l' Energie Atomique, Institut National de l' Energie Solaire, INES-RDI, Parc Technologique de Savoie Technolac, 50 Avenue du Lac Leman, 73377 Le Bourget du Lac Cedex (France)

    2008-02-15

    The mechanism of the positive plate charge in pulse regime was studied in model lead-acid cells with one positive and two negative plates (8 Ah each) and Ag/Ag{sub 2}SO{sub 4} reference electrodes. The results showed that the evolution of the electrode potential is much slower on the positive plate than on the negative plate. Regardless of this fact, the calculated capacitive current of charge and self-discharge of the electrochemical double layer (EDL) during the 'ON' and 'OFF' half-periods of the pulse current square waves is comparable with the charge current amplitude. The result is due to the high values of the EDL on the surface of the lead dioxide active material. The influence of different factors like state of charge, state of health, pulse frequency, current amplitude and open circuit stay before the polarization was discussed. The previously determined optimal frequency of 1 Hz was associated with a maximum in the average double layer current on frequency dependence. The average double layer current is also maximal at SOC between 75 and 100%. The exchange of the constant current polarization with pulse polarization does not change substantially the mechanism and the overvoltage of the oxygen evolution reaction on the positive plate. The mechanism of the self-discharge of the EDL was also estimated analyzing long-time PPP transients (up to 2 h). It was found that when the PPP is lower than 1.2 V the preferred mechanism of EDL self-discharge is by coupling with the lead sulphate oxidation reaction. At higher values of PPP the EDL self-discharge happens via oxygen evolution. The high faradic efficiency of the pulse charge is due to the chemical oxidation of the Pb(II) ions by the O atoms and OH radicals formed at the oxygen evolution both during the 'ON' and 'OFF' periods. (author)

  20. Positively charged polymers modulate the fate of human mesenchymal stromal cells via ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilenia De Luca

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the mechanisms by which mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs interact with the physical properties (e.g. topography, charge, ζ-potential, and contact angle of polymeric surfaces is essential to design new biomaterials capable of regulating stem cell behavior. The present study investigated the ability of two polymers (pHM1 and pHM3 with different positive surface charge densities to modulate the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblast-like phenotype via cell-cell ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling. Although pHM1 promoted the phosphorylation of EphB4, leading to cell differentiation, pHM3, characterized by a high positive surface charge density, had no significant effect on EphB4 activation or MSCs differentiation. When the MSCs were cultured on pHM1 in the presence of a forward signaling blocking peptide, the osteoblast differentiation was compromised. Our results demonstrated that the ephrinB2/EphB4 interaction was required for MSCs differentiation into an osteoblast-like phenotype and that the presence of a high positive surface charge density altered this interaction.

  1. Charge Segregation and Low Hydrophobicity Are Key Features of Ribosomal Proteins from Different Organisms*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fedyukina, Daria V.; Jennaro, Theodore S.; Cavagnero, Silvia

    2014-01-01

    Ribosomes are large and highly charged macromolecular complexes consisting of RNA and proteins. Here, we address the electrostatic and nonpolar properties of ribosomal proteins that are important for ribosome assembly and interaction with other cellular components and may influence protein folding on the ribosome. We examined 50 S ribosomal subunits from 10 species and found a clear distinction between the net charge of ribosomal proteins from halophilic and non-halophilic organisms. We found that ∼67% ribosomal proteins from halophiles are negatively charged, whereas only up to ∼15% of ribosomal proteins from non-halophiles share this property. Conversely, hydrophobicity tends to be lower for ribosomal proteins from halophiles than for the corresponding proteins from non-halophiles. Importantly, the surface electrostatic potential of ribosomal proteins from all organisms, especially halophiles, has distinct positive and negative regions across all the examined species. Positively and negatively charged residues of ribosomal proteins tend to be clustered in buried and solvent-exposed regions, respectively. Hence, the majority of ribosomal proteins is characterized by a significant degree of intramolecular charge segregation, regardless of the organism of origin. This key property enables the ribosome to accommodate proteins within its complex scaffold regardless of their overall net charge. PMID:24398678

  2. Long-Term Charge/Discharge Cycling Stability of MnO2 Aqueous Supercapacitor under Positive Polarization

    KAUST Repository

    Ataherian, Fatemeh; Wu, Nae-Lih

    2011-01-01

    The long-term charge/discharge cycling stability of MnO 2 electrode under positive polarization in aqueous KCl electrolyte has been studied over different potential windows spanning from the open circuit potential to varied higher-end potential

  3. Coupled Membrane Transport Parameters for Ionic Species in All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashraf Gandomi, Yasser; Aaron, D.S.; Mench, M.M.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Real-time crossover of vanadium species was investigated with a novel system. • Concentration and electrostatic potential gradient-induced crossover was separated. • Interaction coefficients were introduced to account for state of charge dependence. • Electric-field-induced crossover is asymmetric for charge and discharge processes. • Net vanadium crossover is from negative to positive half-cell at open-circuit. - Abstract: One of the major sources of capacity loss in all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) is the undesired transport of active vanadium species across the ion-exchange membrane, generically termed crossover. In this work, a novel system has been designed and built to investigate the concentration- and electrostatic potential gradient-driven crossover for all vanadium species through the membrane in real-time. For this study, a perfluorosulphonic acid membrane separator (Nafion ® 117) was used. The test system utilizes ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy to differentiate vanadium ion species and separates contributions to crossover stemming from concentration and electrostatic potential gradients. It is shown that the rate of species transport through the ion-exchange membrane is state of charge dependent and, as a result, interaction coefficients have been deduced which can be used to better estimate expected crossover over a range of operating conditions. The electric field was shown to increase the negative-to-positive transport of V(II)/V(III) and suppress the positive-to-negative transport of V(IV)/V(V) during discharge, with an inverse trend during charging conditions. Electric-field-induced transport coefficients were deduced directly from experimental data.

  4. Measuring momentum for charged particle tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Christopher; Fraser, Andrew Mcleod; Schultz, Larry Joe; Borozdin, Konstantin N.; Klimenko, Alexei Vasilievich; Sossong, Michael James; Blanpied, Gary

    2010-11-23

    Methods, apparatus and systems for detecting charged particles and obtaining tomography of a volume by measuring charged particles including measuring the momentum of a charged particle passing through a charged particle detector. Sets of position sensitive detectors measure scattering of the charged particle. The position sensitive detectors having sufficient mass to cause the charged particle passing through the position sensitive detectors to scatter in the position sensitive detectors. A controller can be adapted and arranged to receive scattering measurements of the charged particle from the charged particle detector, determine at least one trajectory of the charged particle from the measured scattering; and determine at least one momentum measurement of the charged particle from the at least one trajectory. The charged particle can be a cosmic ray-produced charged particle, such as a cosmic ray-produced muon. The position sensitive detectors can be drift cells, such as gas-filled drift tubes.

  5. Intact Four-atom Organic Tetracation Stabilized by Charge Localization in the Gas Phase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yatsuhashi, Tomoyuki; Toyota, Kazuo; Mitsubayashi, Naoya; Kozaki, Masatoshi; Okada, Keiji; Nakashima, Nobuaki

    2016-10-05

    Several features distinguish intact multiply charged molecular cations (MMCs) from other species such as monocations and polycations: high potential energy, high electron affinity, a high density of electronic states with various spin multiplicities, and charge-dependent reactions. However, repulsive Coulombic interactions make MMCs quite unstable, and hence small organic MMCs are currently not readily available. Herein, we report that the isolated four-atom molecule diiodoacetylene survives after the removal of four electrons via tunneling. We show that the tetracation remains metastable towards dissociation because of the localization (91-95 %) of the positive charges on the terminal iodine atoms, ensuring minimum Coulomb repulsion between adjacent atoms as well as maximum charge-induced attractive dipole interactions between iodine and carbon. Our approach making use of iodines as the positively charged sites enables small organic MMCs to remain intact. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Charged particle detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagen, R.D.

    1975-01-01

    A device for detecting the emission of charged particles from a specimen is described. The specimen is placed within an accumulator means which statically accumulates any charged particles emitted from the specimen. The accumulator means is pivotally positioned between a first capacitor plate having a positive electrical charge and a second capacitor plate having a negative electrical charge. The accumulator means is attracted to one capacitor plate and repelled from the other capacitor plate by an amount proportional to the amount and intensity of charged particles emitted by the specimen. (auth)

  7. Quantum size correction to the work function and centroid of excess charge in positively ionized simple metal clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Payami, M.

    2004-01-01

    In this work, we have shown the important role of the finite-size correction to the work function in predicting the correct position of the centroid of excess charge in positively charged simple metal clusters with different r s values (2≤ r s ≥ 7). For this purpose, firstly we have calculated the self-consistent Kohn-Sham energies of neutral and singly-ionized clusters with sizes 2≤ N ≥100 in the framework of local spin-density approximation and stabilized jellium model as well as simple jellium model with rigid jellium. Secondly, we have fitted our results to the asymptotic ionization formulas both with and without the size correction to the work function. The results of fittings show that the formula containing the size correction predict a correct position of the centroid inside the jellium while the other predicts a false position, outside the jellium sphere

  8. Hybrid capacitors utilizing halogen-based redox reactions at interface between carbon positive electrode and aqueous electrolytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamazaki, Shigeaki; Ito, Tatsuya; Murakumo, Yuka; Naitou, Masashi; Shimooka, Toshiharu; Yamagata, Masaki; Ishikawa, Masashi

    2016-09-01

    We propose novel hybrid capacitors (HCs) with electrolyte-involved redox reactions of bromide or iodide species by pretreatment of an activated carbon positive electrode. The treatment is simple; impregnation of pores at an activated carbon fiber cloth (ACFC) as a positive electrode with bromine- or iodine-containing water before cell assembly. The treated positive electrode is applied to a HC cell with a non-treated negative electrode of ACFC and its electrochemical performance is investigated by galvanostatic cycling and leakage current tests. Few studies on such "electrolytic" charge storage systems have provided acceptable capacitor performance because of inevitable self-discharge caused by diffusion of charged species form an electrode to the other one through an electrolyte. Nevertheless, our electrolyte-redox-based HCs show excellent performance without undesirable diffusion of charged species. Moreover, the present HC utilizing a bromide redox system fulfills a practical cell voltage of 1.8 V in spite of an aqueous electrolyte system. This high voltage provides excellent energy density, which is 5 times higher than that in a conventional aqueous electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), and 1.2 times higher even than that in a 2.7 V-class non-aqueous EDLC, while keeping high charge-discharge rate capability.

  9. 3-D pore-scale resolved model for coupled species/charge/fluid transport in a vanadium redox flow battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu Gang; Joshi, Abhijit S.; Dennison, C.R.; Knehr, K.W.; Kumbur, E.C.; Sun Ying

    2012-01-01

    The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) has emerged as a viable grid-scale energy storage technology that offers cost-effective energy storage solutions for renewable energy applications. In this paper, a novel methodology is introduced for modeling of the transport mechanisms of electrolyte flow, species and charge in the VRFB at the pore scale of the electrodes; that is, at the level where individual carbon fiber geometry and electrolyte flow are directly resolved. The detailed geometry of the electrode is obtained using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and calibrated against experimentally determined pore-scale characteristics (e.g., pore and fiber diameter, porosity, and surface area). The processed XCT data is then used as geometry input for modeling of the electrochemical processes in the VRFB. The flow of electrolyte through the pore space is modeled using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) while the finite volume method (FVM) is used to solve the coupled species and charge transport and predict the performance of the VRFB under various conditions. An electrochemical model using the Butler–Volmer equations is used to provide species and charge coupling at the surfaces of the carbon fibers. Results are obtained for the cell potential distribution, as well as local concentration, overpotential and current density profiles under galvanostatic discharge conditions. The cell performance is investigated as a function of the electrolyte flow rate and external drawing current. The model developed here provides a useful tool for building the structure–property–performance relationship of VRFB electrodes.

  10. Positive photocatalysis of a Diels-Alder reaction by quenching of excited naphthalene-indole charge-transfer complex with cyclohexadiene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez-Béjar, María; Stiriba, Salah-Eddine; Miranda, Miguel A; Pérez-Prieto, Julia

    2007-02-01

    [reaction: see text] Naphthalene photo-catalyzes formation of cyclohexadiene-indole cycloadducts in a wavelength-dependent process. Steady-state irradiation and time-resolved fluorescence studies agree well with NP-InH ground-state charge transfer (CT) complexes as the key species responsible for the photo-catalyzed process.

  11. Simulation study of signal formation in position sensitive planar p-on-n silicon detectors after short range charge injection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peltola, T.; Eremin, V.; Verbitskaya, E.; Härkönen, J.

    2017-01-01

    Segmented silicon detectors (micropixel and microstrip) are the main type of detectors used in the inner trackers of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments at CERN. Due to the high luminosity and eventual high fluence of energetic particles, detectors with fast response to fit the short shaping time of 20–25 ns and sufficient radiation hardness are required. Charge collection measurements carried out at the Ioffe Institute have shown a reversal of the pulse polarity in the detector response to short-range charge injection. Since the measured negative signal is about 30–60% of the peak positive signal, the effect strongly reduces the CCE even in non-irradiated detectors. For further investigation of the phenomenon the measurements have been reproduced by TCAD simulations. As for the measurements, the simulation study was applied for the p-on-n strip detectors similar in geometry to those developed for the ATLAS experiment and for the Ioffe Institute designed p-on-n strip detectors with each strip having a window in the metallization covering the p + implant, allowing the generation of electron-hole pairs under the strip implant. Red laser scans across the strips and the interstrip gap with varying laser diameters and Si-SiO 2 interface charge densities ( Q f ) were carried out. The results verify the experimentally observed negative response along the scan in the interstrip gap. When the laser spot is positioned on the strip p + implant the negative response vanishes and the collected charge at the active strip increases respectively. The simulation results offer a further insight and understanding of the influence of the oxide charge density in the signal formation. The main result of the study is that a threshold value of Q f , that enables negligible losses of collected charges, is defined. The observed effects and details of the detector response for different charge injection positions are discussed in the context of Ramo's theorem.

  12. Simulation study of signal formation in position sensitive planar p-on-n silicon detectors after short range charge injection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peltola, T.; Eremin, V.; Verbitskaya, E.; Härkönen, J.

    2017-09-01

    Segmented silicon detectors (micropixel and microstrip) are the main type of detectors used in the inner trackers of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments at CERN. Due to the high luminosity and eventual high fluence of energetic particles, detectors with fast response to fit the short shaping time of 20-25 ns and sufficient radiation hardness are required. Charge collection measurements carried out at the Ioffe Institute have shown a reversal of the pulse polarity in the detector response to short-range charge injection. Since the measured negative signal is about 30-60% of the peak positive signal, the effect strongly reduces the CCE even in non-irradiated detectors. For further investigation of the phenomenon the measurements have been reproduced by TCAD simulations. As for the measurements, the simulation study was applied for the p-on-n strip detectors similar in geometry to those developed for the ATLAS experiment and for the Ioffe Institute designed p-on-n strip detectors with each strip having a window in the metallization covering the p+ implant, allowing the generation of electron-hole pairs under the strip implant. Red laser scans across the strips and the interstrip gap with varying laser diameters and Si-SiO2 interface charge densities (Qf) were carried out. The results verify the experimentally observed negative response along the scan in the interstrip gap. When the laser spot is positioned on the strip p+ implant the negative response vanishes and the collected charge at the active strip increases respectively. The simulation results offer a further insight and understanding of the influence of the oxide charge density in the signal formation. The main result of the study is that a threshold value of Qf, that enables negligible losses of collected charges, is defined. The observed effects and details of the detector response for different charge injection positions are discussed in the context of Ramo's theorem.

  13. Quantum size correction to the work function and the centroid of excess charge in positively ionized simple metal clusters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Payami

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available  In this work, we have shown the important role of the finite-size correction to the work function in predicting the correct position of the centroid of excess charge in positively charged simple metal clusters with different values . For this purpose, firstly we have calculated the self-consistent Kohn-Sham energies of neutral and singly-ionized clusters with sizes in the framework of local spin-density approximation and stabilized jellium model (SJM as well as simple jellium model (JM with rigid jellium. Secondly, we have fitted our results to the asymptotic ionization formulas both with and without the size correction to the work function. The results of fittings show that the formula containing the size correction predict a correct position of the centroid inside the jellium while the other predicts a false position, outside the jellium sphere.

  14. Notes on the taxonomic position of several species of the genus Diphascon (Tardigrada, Hypsibiidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tumanov, Denis V

    2018-03-20

    For this paper I analysed the descriptions of all species, attributed to the genus Diphascon Plate, 1889, to ascertain if they fit the diagnosis of this genus, provided by Bertolani et al. 2014. Thirty four species (the majority of the species diversity classified within the genus) fully match its emended diagnosis, while three: Diphascon opisthoglyptum Maucci, 1987, Diphascon procerum Pilato, Sabella Lisi, 2014 and Diphascon ziliense Lisi, Sabella Pilato, 2014, demonstrate a combination of characters, typical to the genus Pilatobius Bertolani et al., 2014. I propose the transfer these three species to the genus Pilatobius, thus their new taxonomic positions are as follows: Pilatobius opisthoglyptus (Maucci, 1987) comb. nov., Pilatobius procerus (Pilato, Sabella Lisi, 2014) comb. nov. and Pilatobius ziliense (Lisi, Sabella Pilato, 2014) comb. nov. Descriptions of three other Diphascon species (Diphascon mariae (Mihelčič, 1951), Diphascon rivulare (Mihelčič, 1967) and Diphascon punctatum (Iharos, 1962)) contain too little detail to conclude on their taxonomic position. The species Pilatobius halapiense (Iharos, 1964) was erroneously transferred from the genus Diphascon, and here I suggest it is transferred back to Diphascon. The new taxonomic position of this species is: Diphascon halapiense (Iharos, 1964) comb. nov. Emended list of species, attributed to the genus Diphascon is given.

  15. Simulation study on discrete charge effects of SiNW biosensors according to bound target position using a 3D TCAD simulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, In-Young; Jang, Hyeri; Lee, Jieun; Moon, Hyunggeun; Seo, Sung Min; Kim, Dae Hwan

    2012-02-17

    We introduce a simulation method for the biosensor environment which treats the semiconductor and the electrolyte region together, using the well-established semiconductor 3D TCAD simulator tool. Using this simulation method, we conduct electrostatic simulations of SiNW biosensors with a more realistic target charge model where the target is described as a charged cube, randomly located across the nanowire surface, and analyze the Coulomb effect on the SiNW FET according to the position and distribution of the target charges. The simulation results show the considerable variation in the SiNW current according to the bound target positions, and also the dependence of conductance modulation on the polarity of target charges. This simulation method and the results can be utilized for analysis of the properties and behavior of the biosensor device, such as the sensing limit or the sensing resolution.

  16. Simulation study on discrete charge effects of SiNW biosensors according to bound target position using a 3D TCAD simulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, In-Young; Moon, Hyunggeun; Jang, Hyeri; Lee, Jieun; Kim, Dae Hwan; Seo, Sung Min

    2012-01-01

    We introduce a simulation method for the biosensor environment which treats the semiconductor and the electrolyte region together, using the well-established semiconductor 3D TCAD simulator tool. Using this simulation method, we conduct electrostatic simulations of SiNW biosensors with a more realistic target charge model where the target is described as a charged cube, randomly located across the nanowire surface, and analyze the Coulomb effect on the SiNW FET according to the position and distribution of the target charges. The simulation results show the considerable variation in the SiNW current according to the bound target positions, and also the dependence of conductance modulation on the polarity of target charges. This simulation method and the results can be utilized for analysis of the properties and behavior of the biosensor device, such as the sensing limit or the sensing resolution. (paper)

  17. Positive feedback in species communities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gerla, D.J.

    2012-01-01

    Sometimes the eventual population densities in a species community depend on the initial densities or the arrival times of species. If arrival times determine species composition, a priority effect has occurred. Priority effects may occur if the species community exhibits alternative stable states

  18. The role of positive selection in determining the molecular cause of species differences in disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Foord Steven M

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Related species, such as humans and chimpanzees, often experience the same disease with varying degrees of pathology, as seen in the cases of Alzheimer's disease, or differing symptomatology as in AIDS. Furthermore, certain diseases such as schizophrenia, epithelial cancers and autoimmune disorders are far more frequent in humans than in other species for reasons not associated with lifestyle. Genes that have undergone positive selection during species evolution are indicative of functional adaptations that drive species differences. Thus we investigate whether biomedical disease differences between species can be attributed to positively selected genes. Results We identified genes that putatively underwent positive selection during the evolution of humans and four mammals which are often used to model human diseases (mouse, rat, chimpanzee and dog. We show that genes predicted to have been subject to positive selection pressure during human evolution are implicated in diseases such as epithelial cancers, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases and Alzheimer's disease, all of which differ in prevalence and symptomatology between humans and their mammalian relatives. In agreement with previous studies, the chimpanzee lineage was found to have more genes under positive selection than any of the other lineages. In addition, we found new evidence to support the hypothesis that genes that have undergone positive selection tend to interact with each other. This is the first such evidence to be detected widely among mammalian genes and may be important in identifying molecular pathways causative of species differences. Conclusion Our dataset of genes predicted to have been subject to positive selection in five species serves as an informative resource that can be consulted prior to selecting appropriate animal models during drug target validation. We conclude that studying the evolution of functional and biomedical disease differences

  19. Positive and Negative Impacts of Non-Native Bee Species around the World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo, Laura

    2016-11-28

    Though they are relatively understudied, non-native bees are ubiquitous and have enormous potential economic and environmental impacts. These impacts may be positive or negative, and are often unquantified. In this manuscript, I review literature on the known distribution and environmental and economic impacts of 80 species of introduced bees. The potential negative impacts of non-native bees include competition with native bees for nesting sites or floral resources, pollination of invasive weeds, co-invasion with pathogens and parasites, genetic introgression, damage to buildings, affecting the pollination of native plant species, and changing the structure of native pollination networks. The potential positive impacts of non-native bees include agricultural pollination, availability for scientific research, rescue of native species, and resilience to human-mediated disturbance and climate change. Most non-native bee species are accidentally introduced and nest in stems, twigs, and cavities in wood. In terms of number of species, the best represented families are Megachilidae and Apidae, and the best represented genus is Megachile . The best studied genera are Apis and Bombus , and most of the species in these genera were deliberately introduced for agricultural pollination. Thus, we know little about the majority of non-native bees, accidentally introduced or spreading beyond their native ranges.

  20. Positive and Negative Impacts of Non-Native Bee Species around the World

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Russo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Though they are relatively understudied, non-native bees are ubiquitous and have enormous potential economic and environmental impacts. These impacts may be positive or negative, and are often unquantified. In this manuscript, I review literature on the known distribution and environmental and economic impacts of 80 species of introduced bees. The potential negative impacts of non-native bees include competition with native bees for nesting sites or floral resources, pollination of invasive weeds, co-invasion with pathogens and parasites, genetic introgression, damage to buildings, affecting the pollination of native plant species, and changing the structure of native pollination networks. The potential positive impacts of non-native bees include agricultural pollination, availability for scientific research, rescue of native species, and resilience to human-mediated disturbance and climate change. Most non-native bee species are accidentally introduced and nest in stems, twigs, and cavities in wood. In terms of number of species, the best represented families are Megachilidae and Apidae, and the best represented genus is Megachile. The best studied genera are Apis and Bombus, and most of the species in these genera were deliberately introduced for agricultural pollination. Thus, we know little about the majority of non-native bees, accidentally introduced or spreading beyond their native ranges.

  1. Charge exchange cooling in the tandem mirror plasma confinement apparatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logan, B. Grant

    1978-01-01

    Method and apparatus for cooling a plasma of warm charged species confined in the center mirror cell of the tandem mirror apparatus by injecting cold neutral species of the plasma into at least one mirroring region of the center mirror cell, the cooling due to the loss of warm charged species through charge exchange with the cold neutral species with resulting diffusion of the warm neutral species out of the plasma.

  2. Factors influencing the charge distribution on Pd x Pt y bimetallic nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos M. Celis-Cornejo

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available We performed quantum mechanics calculations to elucidate the electronic behavior of Pd-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles, using density functional theory, in response to particle size and stoichiometric composition. Using neutrally charged nanoparticles and the Bader charge analysis, we found that external Pd atoms were positively charged, which agrees with previous XPS observations of supported Pd-Pt nanoparticles. From the calculations, unsupported nanoparticles exhibit an electron transfer from Pd to Pt. This result supports the idea that Pd electron-deficient species are possibly responsible of the hydrogenating function of these catalysts, in the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene. Additionally, it was found that the particle size does not affect the electronic charge distribution and the stoichiometric composition is the factor that greatly influences this property in nanoparticles.

  3. EBQ code: Transport of space-charge beams in axially symmetric devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, A. C.

    1982-11-01

    Such general-purpose space charge codes as EGUN, BATES, WODF, and TRANSPORT do not gracefully accommodate the simulation of relativistic space-charged beams propagating a long distance in axially symmetric devices where a high degree of cancellation has occurred between the self-magnetic and self-electric forces of the beam. The EBQ code was written specifically to follow high current beam particles where space charge is important in long distance flight in axially symmetric machines possessing external electric and magnetic field. EBQ simultaneously tracks all trajectories so as to allow procedures for charge deposition based on inter-ray separations. The orbits are treated in Cartesian geometry (position and momentum) with z as the independent variable. Poisson's equation is solved in cylindrical geometry on an orthogonal rectangular mesh. EBQ can also handle problems involving multiple ion species where the space charge from each must be included. Such problems arise in the design of ion sources where different charge and mass states are present.

  4. EBQ code: transport of space-charge beams in axially symmetric devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, A.C.

    1982-11-01

    Such general-purpose space charge codes as EGUN, BATES, WOLF, and TRANSPORT do not gracefully accommodate the simulation of relativistic space-charged beams propagating a long distance in axially symmetric devices where a high degree of cancellation has occurred between the self-magnetic and self-electric forces of the beam. The EBQ code was written specifically to follow high current beam particles where space charge is important in long distance flight in axially symmetric machines possessing external electric and magnetic field. EBQ simultaneously tracks all trajectories so as to allow procedures for charge deposition based on inter-ray separations. The orbits are treated in Cartesian geometry (position and momentum) with z as the independent variable. Poisson's equation is solved in cylindrical geometry on an orthogonal rectangular mesh. EBQ can also handle problems involving multiple ion species where the space charge from each must be included. Such problems arise in the design of ion sources where different charge and mass states are present

  5. The noise analysis and optimum filtering techniques for a two-dimensional position sensitive orthogonal strip gamma ray detector employing resistive charge division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerber, M.S.; Muller, D.W.

    1976-01-01

    The analysis of an orthogonal strip, two-dimensional position sensitive high purity germanium gamma ray detector is discussed. Position sensitivity is obtained by connecting each electrode strip on the detector to a resistor network. Charge, entering the network, divides in relation to the resistance between its entry point and the virtual earth points of the charge sensitive preamplifiers located at the end of each resistor network. The difference of the voltage pulses at the output of each preamplifier is proportional to the position at which the charge entered the resistor network and the sum of the pulse is proportional to the energy of the detected gamma ray. The analysis and spatial noise resolution is presented for this type of position sensitive detector. The results of the analysis show that the position resolution is proportional to the square root of the filter amplifier's output pulse time constant and that for energy measurement the resolution is maximized at the filter amplifier's noise corner time constant. The design of the electronic noise filtering system for the prototype gamma ray camera was based on the mathematical energy and spatial resolution equations. For the spatial channel a Gaussian trapezoidal filtering system was developed. Gaussian filtering was used for the energy channel. The detector noise model was verified by taking rms noise measurements of the filtered energy and spatial pulses from resistive readout charge dividing detectors. These measurements were within 10% of theory. (Auth.)

  6. Generation of reactive oxygen species and charge carriers in plasmonic photocatalytic Au@TiO2 nanostructures with enhanced activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Weiwei; Cai, Junhui; Jiang, Xiumei; Yin, Jun-Jie; Meng, Qingbo

    2018-06-13

    The combination of semiconductor and plasmonic nanostructures, endowed with high efficiency light harvesting and surface plasmon confinement, has been a promising way for efficient utilization of solar energy. Although the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assisted photocatalysis has been extensively studied, the photochemical mechanism, e.g. the effect of SPR on the generation of reactive oxygen species and charge carriers, is not well understood. In this study, we take Au@TiO2 nanostructures as a plasmonic photocatalyst to address this critical issue. The Au@TiO2 core/shell nanostructures with tunable SPR property were synthesized by the templating method with post annealing thermal treatment. It was found that Au@TiO2 nanostructures exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity in either sunlight or visible light (λ > 420 nm). Electron spin resonance spectroscopy with spin trapping and spin labeling was used to investigate the enhancing effect of Au@TiO2 on the photo-induced reactive oxygen species and charge carriers. The formation of Au@TiO2 core/shell nanostructures resulted in a dramatic increase in light-induced generation of hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen, holes and electrons, as compared with TiO2 alone. This enhancement under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation may be dominated by SPR induced local electrical field enhancement, while the enhancement under sunlight irradiation is dominated by the higher electron transfer from TiO2 to Au. These results unveiled that the superior photocatalytic activity of Au@TiO2 nanostructures correlates with enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species and charge carriers.

  7. Elaboration of Stable and Antibody Functionalized Positively Charged Colloids by Polyelectrolyte Complexation between Chitosan and Hyaluronic Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramona C. Polexe

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we describe the elaboration of multifunctional positively charged polyelectrolyte complex (PEC nanoparticles, designed to be stable at physiological salt concentration and pH, for effective targeted delivery. These nanoparticles were obtained by charge neutralization between chitosan (CS as polycation and hyaluronic acid (HA as polyanion. We showed that the course of the complexation process and the physico-chemical properties of the resulting colloids were impacted by (i internal parameters such as the Degree of Acetylation (DA, i.e., the molar ration of acetyl glucosamine residues and molar mass of CS, the HA molar mass and (ii external parameters like the charge mixing ratio and the polymer concentrations. As a result, nonstoichiometric colloidal PECs were obtained in water or PBS (pH 7.4 and remained stable over one month. The polymer interactions were characterized by thermal analysis (DSC and TGA and the morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy. A model antibody, anti-ovalbumine (OVA immunoglobulin A (IgA was sorbed on the particle surface in water and PBS quantitatively in 4 h. The CS-HA/IgA nanoparticles average size was between 425–665 nm with a positive zeta potential. These results pointed out that CS-HA can be effective carriers for use in targeted drug delivery.

  8. The charge spectrum of positive ions in a hydrogen aurora

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, J.; Pulliam, D.; Leach, R.; Scherb, F.

    1976-01-01

    An auroral ion charge spectrometer was flown into a hydrogen aurora on a Javelin sounding rocket launched from Churchill, Manitoba. The instrument contained an electrostatic analyzer which selected particles with incident energy per unit charge up to 20 keV/charge and an 80-kV power supply which accelerated these ions onto an array of solid state detectors. Ions tentatively identified as H(+), He(+2), and O(+) were detected from 225 to 820 km in altitude. The experiment did not discriminate between H(+) and He(+), or between O(+), N(+), and C(+). Upper limits of highly charged heavy ion abundances have been set at 20% of the He(+2) and 0.15% of the H(+). It is concluded that both terrestrial and solar wind sources play significant roles in auroral ion precipitation.

  9. The new ECR charge breeder for the Selective Production of Exotic Species project at INFN—Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galatà, A.; Patti, G.; Roncolato, C.; Angot, J.; Lamy, T.

    2016-01-01

    The Selective Production of Exotic Species (SPES) project is an ISOL facility under construction at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare–Laboratori Nationali di Legnaro (INFN-LNL). 1+ radioactive ions, produced and extracted from the target-ion-source system, will be charge bred to high charge states by an ECR charge breeder (SPES-CB): the project will adopt an upgraded version of the PHOENIX charge breeder, developed since about twenty years by the Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie (LPSC). The collaboration between LNL and LPSC started in 2010 with charge breeding experiments performed on the LPSC test bench and led, in June 2014, to the signature of a Research Collaboration Agreement for the delivery of a complete charge breeder and ancillaries, satisfying the SPES requirements. Important technological aspects were tackled during the construction phase, as, for example, beam purity issues, electrodes alignment, and vacuum sealing. This phase was completed in spring 2015, after which the qualification tests were carried out at LPSC on the 1+/q+ test stand. This paper describes the characteristics of the SPES-CB, with particular emphasis on the results obtained during the qualification tests: charge breeding of Ar, Xe, Rb, and Cs satisfied the SPES requirements for different intensities of the injected 1+ beam, showing very good performances, some of which are “best ever” for this device

  10. The new ECR charge breeder for the Selective Production of Exotic Species project at INFN—Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galatà, A.; Patti, G.; Roncolato, C.; Angot, J.; Lamy, T.

    2016-02-01

    The Selective Production of Exotic Species (SPES) project is an ISOL facility under construction at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Laboratori Nationali di Legnaro (INFN-LNL). 1+ radioactive ions, produced and extracted from the target-ion-source system, will be charge bred to high charge states by an ECR charge breeder (SPES-CB): the project will adopt an upgraded version of the PHOENIX charge breeder, developed since about twenty years by the Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie (LPSC). The collaboration between LNL and LPSC started in 2010 with charge breeding experiments performed on the LPSC test bench and led, in June 2014, to the signature of a Research Collaboration Agreement for the delivery of a complete charge breeder and ancillaries, satisfying the SPES requirements. Important technological aspects were tackled during the construction phase, as, for example, beam purity issues, electrodes alignment, and vacuum sealing. This phase was completed in spring 2015, after which the qualification tests were carried out at LPSC on the 1+/q+ test stand. This paper describes the characteristics of the SPES-CB, with particular emphasis on the results obtained during the qualification tests: charge breeding of Ar, Xe, Rb, and Cs satisfied the SPES requirements for different intensities of the injected 1+ beam, showing very good performances, some of which are "best ever" for this device.

  11. SFG and SPR Study of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Film Assembly on Positively Charged Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Sanghun; Weidner, Tobias; Wagner, Matthew; Castner, David

    2012-02-01

    This study uses sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing to investigate the structure of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) films formed on positively charged and hydrophilic surfaces. The SPR signals show a good surface coverage suggesting that full monolayer coverage is reached at 1 mM. SFG spectra of SDS adsorbed exhibits well resolved CH3 peaks and OH peaks. At both 0.2 mM and 1 mM SDS concentration the intensity of both the CH3 and OH peaks decreased close to background levels. We found that the loss of SFG signal at 0.2 mM occurs at this concentration independent of surface charge density. It is more likely that the loss of signal is related to structural inhomogeneity induced by a striped phase - stand-up phase transition. This is supported by a distinct change of the relative SFG phase between CH3/OH near 0.2 mM. The second intensity minimum might be related to charge compensation effects. We observed a substrate dependence for the high concentration transition. We also observed distinct SFG signal phase changes for water molecules associated with SDS layers at different SDS solution concentrations indicating that the orientation of bound water changed with SDS surface structure.

  12. Influence of negative charge on the optical properties of a silver sol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JOVAN M. NEDELJKOVIC

    2000-03-01

    Full Text Available The effects of negative charge on the optical properties of a silver sol prepared using sodium borohydride as a reductant were studied. The oscillations in the position of the maximum and the intensity of the surface plasmon absorption band were obesrved. The observed effects were explained as a consequence of the fluctuation of the density of free electrons due to the alternate charging and discharging of the silver particles. The charging process involves electron injection from borohydride ions and intermediate species formed during the course of the metal-catalyzed hydrolysis of borohydride ions (BH3OH-, BH2(OH2 and BH(OH3- into the silver particles, while discharge of the silver sol, by reduction of water to hydrogen, limits the attainable negative charge on the particles.

  13. Superposition Principle in Auger Recombination of Charged and Neutral Multicarrier States in Semiconductor Quantum Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kaifeng; Lim, Jaehoon; Klimov, Victor I

    2017-08-22

    Application of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in optical and optoelectronic devices is often complicated by unintentional generation of extra charges, which opens fast nonradiative Auger recombination pathways whereby the recombination energy of an exciton is quickly transferred to the extra carrier(s) and ultimately dissipated as heat. Previous studies of Auger recombination have primarily focused on neutral and, more recently, negatively charged multicarrier states. Auger dynamics of positively charged species remains more poorly explored due to difficulties in creating, stabilizing, and detecting excess holes in the QDs. Here we apply photochemical doping to prepare both negatively and positively charged CdSe/CdS QDs with two distinct core/shell interfacial profiles ("sharp" versus "smooth"). Using neutral and charged QD samples we evaluate Auger lifetimes of biexcitons, negative and positive trions (an exciton with an extra electron or a hole, respectively), and multiply negatively charged excitons. Using these measurements, we demonstrate that Auger decay of both neutral and charged multicarrier states can be presented as a superposition of independent elementary three-particle Auger events. As one of the manifestations of the superposition principle, we observe that the biexciton Auger decay rate can be presented as a sum of the Auger rates for independent negative and positive trion pathways. By comparing the measurements on the QDs with the "sharp" versus "smooth" interfaces, we also find that while affecting the absolute values of Auger lifetimes, manipulation of the shape of the confinement potential does not lead to violation of the superposition principle, which still allows us to accurately predict the biexciton Auger lifetimes based on the measured negative and positive trion dynamics. These findings indicate considerable robustness of the superposition principle as applied to Auger decay of charged and neutral multicarrier states

  14. Charge dividing mechanism on resistive electrode in position-sensitive detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radeka, V.; Rehak, P.

    1978-10-01

    A complete charge-division mechanism, including both the diffusion and the electromagnetic wave propagation on resistive electrodes, is presented. The charge injected into such a transmission line divides between the two ends according to the ratio of resistancies and independently of the value of the line resistance, of the propagation mechanism and of the distribution of inductance and capacitance along the line. The shortest charge division time is achieved for Rl = 2π (L/C) 1 / 2 , where R, L, C are resistance, inductance and capacitance per unit length and l is the length of the line

  15. Lithium position and occupancy fluctuations in a cathode during charge/discharge cycling of lithium-ion battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, N.; Yu, D.; Zhu, Y.; Wu, Y.; Peterson, V. K.

    2012-01-01

    Lithium-ion batteries are undergoing rapid development to meet the energy demands of the transportation and renewable energy-generation sectors. The capacity of a lithium-ion battery is dependent on the amount of lithium that can be reversibly incorporated into the cathode. Neutron diffraction provides greater sensitivity towards lithium relative to other diffraction techniques. In conjunction with the penetration depth afforded by neutron diffraction, the information concerning lithium gained in a neutron diffraction study allows commercial lithium-ion batteries to be explored with respect to the lithium content in the whole cathode. Furthermore, neutron diffraction instruments featuring area detectors that allow relatively fast acquisitions enable perturbations of lithium location and occupancy in the cathode during charge/discharge cycling to be determined in real time. Here, we present the time, current, and temperature dependent lithium transfer occurring within a cathode functioning under conventional charge-discharge cycling. The lithium location and content, oxygen positional parameter, and lattice parameter of the Li 1+y Mn 2 0 4 cathode are measured and linked to the battery's charge/discharge characteristics (performance). We determine that the lithium-transfer mechanism involves two crystallographic sites, and that the mechanism differs between discharge and charge, explaining the relative ease of discharging (compared with charging) this material. Furthermore, we find that the rate of change of the lattice is faster on charging than discharging, and is dependent on the lithium insertion/ extraction processes (e.g. dependent on how the site occupancies evolve). Using in situ neutron diffraction data the atomic-scale understanding of cathode functionality is revealed, representing detailed information that can be used to direct improvements in battery performance at both the practical and fundamental level.

  16. Electron-beam-charged dielectrics: Internal charge distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beers, B. L.; Pine, V. W.

    1981-01-01

    Theoretical calculations of an electron transport model of the charging of dielectrics due to electron bombardment are compared to measurements of internal charge distributions. The emphasis is on the distribution of Teflon. The position of the charge centroid as a function of time is not monotonic. It first moves deeper into the material and then moves back near to the surface. In most time regimes of interest, the charge distribution is not unimodal, but instead has two peaks. The location of the centroid near saturation is a function of the incident current density. While the qualitative comparison of theory and experiment are reasonable, quantitative comparison shows discrepancies of as much as a factor of two.

  17. Humic acid adsorption onto cationic cellulose nanofibers for bioinspired removal of copper( ii ) and a positively charged dye

    KAUST Repository

    Sehaqui, H.

    2015-01-01

    © The Royal Society of Chemistry. Waste pulp residues are herein exploited for the synthesis of a sorbent for humic acid (HA), which is a major water pollutant. Cellulose pulp was etherified with a quaternary ammonium salt in water thereby introducing positive charges onto the surface of the pulp fibers, and subsequently mechanically disintegrated into high surface area cellulose nanofibers (CNF). CNF with three different charge contents were produced and their adsorption capacity towards HA was investigated with UV-spectrophotometry, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, and ζ-potential measurements. Substantial coverage of the CNF surface with HA in a wide pH range led to a reversal of the positive ζ-potentials of CNF suspensions. The HA adsorption capacity and the kinetics of HA uptake were found to be promoted by both acidic pH conditions and the surface charge content of CNF. It is suggested that HA adsorption onto CNF depends on electrostatic interactions between the two components, as well as on the conformation of HA. At pH ∼ 6, up to 310 mg g-1 of HA were adsorbed by the functionalized CNF, a substantially higher capacity than that of previously reported HA sorbents in the literature. It is further shown that CNF-HA complexes could be freeze-dried into "soil-mimicking" porous foams having good capacity to capture Cu(ii) ions and positive dyes from contaminated water. Thus, the most abundant natural polymer, i.e., cellulose could effectively bind the most abundant natural organic matter for environmental remediation purpose.

  18. Rotaxane and catenane host structures for sensing charged guest species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langton, Matthew J; Beer, Paul D

    2014-07-15

    CONSPECTUS: The promise of mechanically interlocked architectures, such as rotaxanes and catenanes, as prototypical molecular switches and shuttles for nanotechnological applications, has stimulated an ever increasing interest in their synthesis and function. The elaborate host cavities of interlocked structures, however, can also offer a novel approach toward molecular recognition: this Account describes the use of rotaxane and catenane host systems for binding charged guest species, and for providing sensing capability through an integrated optical or electrochemical reporter group. Particular attention is drawn to the exploitation of the unusual dynamic properties of interlocked molecules, such as guest-induced shuttling or conformational switching, as a sophisticated means of achieving a selective and functional sensor response. We initially survey interlocked host systems capable of sensing cationic guests, before focusing on our accomplishments in synthesizing rotaxanes and catenanes designed for the more challenging task of selective anion sensing. In our group, we have developed the use of discrete anionic templation to prepare mechanically interlocked structures for anion recognition applications. Removal of the anion template reveals an interlocked host system, possessing a unique three-dimensional geometrically restrained binding cavity formed between the interlocked components, which exhibits impressive selectivity toward complementary anionic guest species. By incorporating reporter groups within such systems, we have developed both electrochemical and optical anion sensors which can achieve highly selective sensing of anionic guests. Transition metals, lanthanides, and organic fluorophores integrated within the mechanically bonded structural framework of the receptor are perturbed by the binding of the guest, with a concomitant change in the emission profile. We have also exploited the unique dynamics of interlocked hosts by demonstrating that an

  19. Characterization of four different bipolar charging devices for nanoparticle charge conditioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kallinger, Peter; Steiner, Gerhard; Szymanski, Wladyslaw W.

    2012-01-01

    Well-defined charge conditioning of nanoparticles is a prerequisite for a number of particle measuring techniques. We investigated two different soft X-ray devices (custom-built and TSI advanced aerosol neutralizer) an AC-corona discharge device (MSP electrical ionizer) and a radioactivity based Am-241 charger as a reference. Electrical mobility size distributions of positive and negative ions created in all devices were determined and their applicability for particle charging examined. The mobility spectra of the positive ions were found to be quite comparable for all chargers with a mean mobility of 1.50–1.60 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , whereas the spectra of the negative ions show differences in morphology leading to a broader range of mean mobilities (1.68–2.09 cm 2 V −1 s −1 ). However, results confirm that under the selected experimental conditions the charge equilibrium related to bipolar diffusion charging process was obtained in all charging devices.

  20. The influence of electrohydrodynamic flow on the distribution of chemical species in positive corona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontiga, Francisco; Yanallah, Khelifa; Bouazza, R.; Chen, Junhong

    2015-09-01

    A numerical simulation of positive corona discharge in air, including the effect of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) motion of the gas, has been carried out. Air flow is assumed to be confined between two parallel plates, and corona discharge is produced around a thin wire, midway between the plates. Therefore, fluid dynamics equations, including electrical forces, have been solved together with the continuity equation of each neutral species. The plasma chemical model included 24 chemical reactions and ten neutral species, in addition to electrons and positive ions. The results of the simulation have shown that the influence of EHD flow on the spatial distributions of the species is quite different depending on the species. Hence, reactive species like atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen are confined to the vicinity of the wire, and they are weakly affected by the EHD gas motion. In contrast, nitrogen oxides and ozone are efficiently dragged outside the active region of the corona discharge by the EHD flow. This work was supported by the Spanish Government Agency ``Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación'' under Contract No. FIS2011-25161.

  1. Study of correlations of positive and negative charged particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Y.; Chan, C.H.; Dong, B.L.; Duthie, J.G.; Gregory, J.C.; Hayashi, T.; Yokomi, H.; Christl, M.J.; Derrickson, J.H.; Eby, P.B.; Fountain, W.F.; Parnell, T.A.; Roberts, F.E.; Nagamiya, S.; Dake, S.; Tominaga, T.; Fuki, M.; Iyono, A.; Ogata, T.; Miyamura, O.

    1991-01-01

    Particle correlations of the central collision events of 32 S + Pb at 200 GeV/AMU have been studied by utilizing a Magnetic-Interferomagnetic-Emulsion-Chamber (MAGIC) detector. Particle angles, momentum, and charge-signs are measured for all produced charged tracks for each event. Two-particle correlation functions, C 2 = dN (vertical strokep 1 - p 2 vertical stroke = q)/dp 1 dp 2 , for (++), (--) and (+-) particles are examined. A source radius around 4 - 6 fm is observed for overall identical particle correlations, while unexpected short-range correlations of unlike-sign pairs are observed in the high rapidity region. An analysis of unlike-sign pairs in terms of resonance decays indicated that a large amount (40% relative to pions) of η or ω mesons (decaying into 3 π), or of scalar iso-scalar σ mesons (decaying into 2 π) would be required to explain some of the data. Multi-particle charge-sign clusters are recognized; however, their 'run-test' and 'conjugate-test' show small deviations from statistical fluctuations. (orig.)

  2. Colorimetric method for determination of bisphenol A based on aptamer-mediated aggregation of positively charged gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Jingyue; Li, Ying; Bie, Jiaxin; Guo, Jiajia; Luo, Yeli; Shen, Fei; Sun, Chunyan; Jiang, Wei

    2015-01-01

    A sensitive, specific and rapid colorimetric aptasensor for the determination of the plasticizer bisphenol A (BPA) was developed. It is based on the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that are positively charged due to the modification with cysteamine which is cationic at near-neutral pH values. If aptamers are added to such AuNPs, aggregation occurs due to electrostatic interactions between the negatively-charged aptamers and the positively-charged AuNPs. This results in a color change of the AuNPs from red to blue. If a sample containing BPA is added to the anti-BPA aptamers, the anti-BPA aptamers undergo folding via an induced-fit binding mechanism. This is accompanied by a conformational change, which prevents the aptamer-induced aggregation and color change of AuNPs. The effect was exploited to design a colorimetric assay for BPA. Under optimum conditions, the absorbance ratio of A 527 /A 680 is linearly proportional to the BPA concentration in the range from 35 to 140 ng∙mL −1 , with a detection limit of 0.11 ng∙mL −1 . The method has been successfully applied to the determination of BPA in spiked tap water and gave recoveries between 91 and 106 %. Data were in full accordance with results obtained from HPLC. This assay is selective, easily performed, and in our perception represents a promising alternative to existing methods for rapid quantification of BPA. (author)

  3. A positive relationship between spring temperature and productivity in 20 songbird species in the boreal zone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meller, Kalle; Piha, Markus; Vähätalo, Anssi V; Lehikoinen, Aleksi

    2018-03-01

    Anthropogenic climate warming has already affected the population dynamics of numerous species and is predicted to do so also in the future. To predict the effects of climate change, it is important to know whether productivity is linked to temperature, and whether species' traits affect responses to climate change. To address these objectives, we analysed monitoring data from the Finnish constant effort site ringing scheme collected in 1987-2013 for 20 common songbird species together with climatic data. Warm spring temperature had a positive linear relationship with productivity across the community of 20 species independent of species' traits (realized thermal niche or migration behaviour), suggesting that even the warmest spring temperatures remained below the thermal optimum for reproduction, possibly due to our boreal study area being closer to the cold edge of all study species' distributions. The result also suggests a lack of mismatch between the timing of breeding and peak availability of invertebrate food of the study species. Productivity was positively related to annual growth rates in long-distance migrants, but not in short-distance migrants. Across the 27-year study period, temporal trends in productivity were mostly absent. The population sizes of species with colder thermal niches had decreasing trends, which were not related to temperature responses or temporal trends in productivity. The positive connection between spring temperature and productivity suggests that climate warming has potential to increase the productivity in bird species in the boreal zone, at least in the short term.

  4. Charge Transfer into Aqueous Droplets via Kilovolt Potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamlin, B. S.; Rosenberg, E. R.; Ristenpart, W. D.

    2012-11-01

    When an aqueous droplet immersed in an insulating oil contacts an electrified surface, the droplet acquires net charge. For sufficiently large field strengths, the charged droplet is driven back and forth electrophoretically between the electrodes, in essence ``bouncing'' between them. Although it is clear that the droplet acquires charge, the underlying mechanism controlling the charge transfer process has been unclear. Here we demonstrate that the chemical species present in the droplet strongly affect the charge transfer process into the drop. Using two independent charge measurement techniques, high speed video velocimetry and direct current measurement, we show that the charge acquired during contact is strongly influenced by the droplet pH. We also provide physical evidence that the electrodes undergo electroplating or corrosion for droplets with appropriate chemical species present. Together, the observations strongly suggest that electrochemical reactions govern the charge transfer process into the droplet.

  5. Influence of Ionization Degrees on the Evolutions of Charged Particles in Atmospheric Plasma at Low Altitude

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pang Xuexia; Deng Zechao; Jia Pengying; Liang Weihua; Li Xia

    2012-01-01

    A zero-dimensional model which includes 56 species of reactants and 427 reactions is used to study the behavior of charged particles in atmospheric plasmas with different ionization degrees at low altitude (near 0 km). The constant coefficient nonlinear equations are solved by using the Quasi-steady-state approximation method. The electron lifetimes are obtained for afterglow plasma with different initial values, and the temporal evolutions of the main charged species are presented, which are dominant in reaction processes. The results show that the electron number density decays quickly. The lifetimes of electrons are shortened by about two orders with increasing ionization degree. Electrons then attach to neutral particles and produce negative ions. When the initial electron densities are in the range of 10 10 ∼ 10 14 cm −3 , the negative ions have sufficiently high densities and long lifetimes for air purification, disinfection and sterilization. Electrons, O 2 − , O 4 − , CO 4 − and CO 3 − are the dominant negative species when the initial electron density n e0 ≤ 10 13 cm −3 , and only electrons and CO 3 − are left when n e0 ≥ 10 15 cm −3 · N + 2 , N + 4 and O + 2 are dominant in the positive charges for any ionization degree. Other positive species, such as O + 4 , N + 3 , NO + , NO + 2 , Ar + 2 and H 3 O + ·H 2 O, are dominant only for a certain ionization degree and in a certain period. (low temperature plasma)

  6. Development and use of thin film composite based positively charged nanofiltration membranes in separation of aqueous streams and nuclear effluents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dey, T.K.; Bindal, R.C.; Prabhakar, S.; Tewari, P.K.

    2010-01-01

    A new, positively charged, thin film composite (TFC) type nanofiltration membrane has been developed and studied for its use in various aqueous stream separations. The membrane, containing fixed quaternary ammonium moieties, was developed by insitu interfacial polymerization of a functionalized amine (polyethyleneimine) and terephthaloyl chloride on a suitable base membrane. The nature of the charge on the membrane was established by ATR FT IR spectroscopy and was estimated by determination of its ion exchange capacity. The membrane was tested for its performance in single solute feed systems containing salts of various combinations of univalent and bivalent ions (NaCl, Na 2 SO 4 , CaCl 2 and MgSO 4 ) in test cell as well as in 2512 spiral modules. The membrane gave differential separation profile for these solutes with high rejection for CaCl 2 and low rejection for Na 2 SO 4 due to positive charge on the membrane and the type of charge constituting the salts. The membrane was also used for separation of simulated effluent solution containing uranyl nitrate in combination with ammonium nitrate which is a common effluent generated in nuclear industry. Here also the membrane gave differential separation profile for uranyl nitrate and ammonium nitrate in their mixture by concentrating the former salt and passing the later. This helped separation of these two solutes in the mixture into two different streams. (author)

  7. Interpreting anomalies observed in oxide semiconductor TFTs under negative and positive bias stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong Woo Jin

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors can show anomalous behavior under bias stress. Two types of anomalies are discussed in this paper. The first is the shift in threshold voltage (VTH in a direction opposite to the applied bias stress, and highly dependent on gate dielectric material. We attribute this to charge trapping/detrapping and charge migration within the gate dielectric. We emphasize the fundamental difference between trapping/detrapping events occurring at the semiconductor/dielectric interface and those occurring at gate/dielectric interface, and show that charge migration is essential to explain the first anomaly. We model charge migration in terms of the non-instantaneous polarization density. The second type of anomaly is negative VTH shift under high positive bias stress, with logarithmic evolution in time. This can be argued as electron-donating reactions involving H2O molecules or derived species, with a reaction rate exponentially accelerated by positive gate bias and exponentially decreased by the number of reactions already occurred.

  8. Interpreting anomalies observed in oxide semiconductor TFTs under negative and positive bias stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Jong Woo [LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Paris Saclay, 91128, Palaiseau (France); Nathan, Arokia, E-mail: an299@cam.ac.uk [Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Barquinha, Pedro; Pereira, Luís; Fortunato, Elvira; Martins, Rodrigo [i3N/CENIMAT, Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and CEMOP/UNINOVA, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Cobb, Brian [Holst Centre/TNO, Eindhoven, 5656 AE (Netherlands)

    2016-08-15

    Oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors can show anomalous behavior under bias stress. Two types of anomalies are discussed in this paper. The first is the shift in threshold voltage (V{sub TH}) in a direction opposite to the applied bias stress, and highly dependent on gate dielectric material. We attribute this to charge trapping/detrapping and charge migration within the gate dielectric. We emphasize the fundamental difference between trapping/detrapping events occurring at the semiconductor/dielectric interface and those occurring at gate/dielectric interface, and show that charge migration is essential to explain the first anomaly. We model charge migration in terms of the non-instantaneous polarization density. The second type of anomaly is negative V{sub TH} shift under high positive bias stress, with logarithmic evolution in time. This can be argued as electron-donating reactions involving H{sub 2}O molecules or derived species, with a reaction rate exponentially accelerated by positive gate bias and exponentially decreased by the number of reactions already occurred.

  9. Factors influencing the cytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles: particle size and surface charge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baek, M; Kim, M K; Cho, H J; Lee, J A; Yu, J; Chung, H E; Choi, S J

    2011-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle is one of the most important materials in diverse applications, since it has UV light absorption, antimicrobial, catalytic, semi-conducting, and magnetic properties. However, there is little information about the toxicological effects of ZnO nanoparticles with respect to physicochemical properties. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the relationships between cytotoxicity and physicochemical properties of ZnO nanoparticle such as particle size and surface charge in human lung cells. Two different sizes of ZnO nanoparticles (20 and 70 nm) were prepared with positive (+) or negative (-) charge, and then, cytotoxicity of different ZnO nanoparticles was evaluated by measuring cell proliferation in short-term and long-term, membrane integrity, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results demonstrated that smaller particles exhibited high cytotoxic effects compared to larger particles in terms of inhibition of cell proliferation, membrane damage, and ROS generation. In addition, positively charged ZnO showed greater ROS production than ZnO with negative charge. These findings suggest that the cytoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles are strongly affected by their particle size and surface charge, highlighting the role of the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles to understand and predict their potential adverse effects on human.

  10. Factors influencing the cytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles: particle size and surface charge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baek, M; Kim, M K; Cho, H J; Lee, J A; Yu, J; Chung, H E; Choi, S J, E-mail: sjchoi@swu.ac.kr [Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul Women' s University, 126 Gongneung 2-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-774 (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-07-06

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle is one of the most important materials in diverse applications, since it has UV light absorption, antimicrobial, catalytic, semi-conducting, and magnetic properties. However, there is little information about the toxicological effects of ZnO nanoparticles with respect to physicochemical properties. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the relationships between cytotoxicity and physicochemical properties of ZnO nanoparticle such as particle size and surface charge in human lung cells. Two different sizes of ZnO nanoparticles (20 and 70 nm) were prepared with positive (+) or negative (-) charge, and then, cytotoxicity of different ZnO nanoparticles was evaluated by measuring cell proliferation in short-term and long-term, membrane integrity, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results demonstrated that smaller particles exhibited high cytotoxic effects compared to larger particles in terms of inhibition of cell proliferation, membrane damage, and ROS generation. In addition, positively charged ZnO showed greater ROS production than ZnO with negative charge. These findings suggest that the cytoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles are strongly affected by their particle size and surface charge, highlighting the role of the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles to understand and predict their potential adverse effects on human.

  11. The effects of charge, polymerization, and cluster size on the diffusivity of dissolved Si species in pore water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokoyama, Tadashi; Sakuma, Hiroshi

    2018-03-01

    Silicon (Si) is the most abundant cation in crustal rocks. The charge and degree of polymerization of dissolved Si significantly change depending on solution pH and Si concentration. We used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to predict the self-diffusion coefficients of dissolved Si, DSi, for 15 monomeric and polymeric species at ambient temperature. The results showed that DSi decreased with increasing negative charge and increasing degree of polymerization. The relationship between DSi and charge (Z) can be expressed by DSi/10-6 = 2.0 + 9.8e0.47Z, and that between DSi and number of polymerization (NSi) by DSi/10-6 = 9.7/NSi0.56. The results also revealed that multiple Si molecules assembled into a cluster and D decreased as the cluster size increased. Experiments to evaluate the diffusivity of Si in pore water revealed that the diffusion coefficient decreased with increasing Si concentration, a result consistent with the MD simulations. Simulation results can now be used to quantitatively assess water-rock interactions and water-concrete reactions over a wide range of environmentally relevant conditions.

  12. Effect of scanning in the supine and prone positions on dilation of air-charged colon in CTVC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye Jing; Chen Junkun; Zhang Zongjun; Wang Junpeng; Gao Dazhi

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the effect of scanning in the supine and prone positions on dilation of air-charged colon in CT virtual colonoscopy (CTVC). Methods: Thirty cases underwent CTVC scanning in both the supine and prone positions immediately before colonoscopy, and the dilation of each intestine was graded. The differences of colon dilation in different positions were compared. Results: In supine and prone position, there were 26 (17.3%) and 22 (14.7%) insufficient dilating colon segments, respectively, and only 5 (3.3%) insufficient dilating colon segments in double positions. 15(50.0%) and 13(43.3%) colons dilated insufficiently in supine and prone position, respectively, and decreased to 5 (16.7%) in double positions. The dilation of rectum, sigmoid colon, and transverse colon had significant difference in different positions. Conclusion: When performing CTVC, it is highly necessary to scan in both the supine and prone positions in order to ensure the sufficient dilation of colon. In supine position, the dilation of transverse colon is better, while the dilation of rectum and sigmoid colon in prone position is superior to that in supine position

  13. Design study of beam position monitors for measuring second-order moments of charged particle beams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagida, Kenichi; Suzuki, Shinsuke; Hanaki, Hirofumi

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a theoretical investigation on the multipole moments of charged particle beams in two-dimensional polar coordinates. The theoretical description of multipole moments is based on a single-particle system that is expanded to a multiparticle system by superposition, i.e., summing over all single-particle results. This paper also presents an analysis and design method for a beam position monitor (BPM) that detects higher-order (multipole) moments of a charged particle beam. To calculate the electric fields, a numerical analysis based on the finite difference method was created and carried out. Validity of the numerical analysis was proven by comparing the numerical with the analytical results for a BPM with circular cross section. Six-electrode BPMs with circular and elliptical cross sections were designed for the SPring-8 linac. The results of the numerical calculations show that the second-order moment can be detected for beam sizes ≧420μm (circular) and ≧550μm (elliptical).

  14. Numerical simulation of simultaneous acceleration of positive and negative ions in an RFQ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oguri, Y.

    1994-01-01

    By means of a numerical method, beam dynamics was analyzed for an RFQ, where mixtures of positive and negative ions were injected into the quadrupole channel. In order to simulate simultaneous bunching of ions with opposite charges, motion of particles injected into the cavity during two RF periods were traced under consideration of 3D Coulomb forces between particles. Effects of neighbor bunches were also taken into account. In the radial matching section of the structure, beam divergence due to space charge force was completely suppressed by the charge neutralization. However, it has been found that the attractive forces between positive and negative ions prevent bunch formation in the bunching section, leading to longitudinal beam loss. Dependence of the beam transmission efficiency on the input beam intensity is reported. These results are compared with those obtained when injecting single ion species

  15. Elucidating the Performance Limitations of Lithium-ion Batteries due to Species and Charge Transport through Five Characteristic Parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Fangming; Peng, Peng

    2016-01-01

    Underutilization due to performance limitations imposed by species and charge transports is one of the key issues that persist with various lithium-ion batteries. To elucidate the relevant mechanisms, two groups of characteristic parameters were proposed. The first group contains three characteristic time parameters, namely: (1) te, which characterizes the Li-ion transport rate in the electrolyte phase, (2) ts, characterizing the lithium diffusion rate in the solid active materials, and (3) tc, describing the local Li-ion depletion rate in electrolyte phase at the electrolyte/electrode interface due to electrochemical reactions. The second group contains two electric resistance parameters: Re and Rs, which represent respectively, the equivalent ionic transport resistance and the effective electronic transport resistance in the electrode. Electrochemical modeling and simulations to the discharge process of LiCoO2 cells reveal that: (1) if te, ts and tc are on the same order of magnitude, the species transports may not cause any performance limitations to the battery; (2) the underlying mechanisms of performance limitations due to thick electrode, high-rate operation, and large-sized active material particles as well as effects of charge transports are revealed. The findings may be used as quantitative guidelines in the development and design of more advanced Li-ion batteries. PMID:27599870

  16. Position dependence of charge collection in prototype sensors for the CMS pixel detector

    CERN Document Server

    Rohe, Tilman; Chiochia, Vincenzo; Cremaldi, Lucien M; Cucciarelli, Susanna; Dorokhov, Andrei; Konecki, Marcin; Prokofiev, Kirill; Regenfus, Christian; Sanders, David A; Son Seung Hee; Speer, Thomas; Swartz, Morris

    2004-01-01

    This paper reports on the sensor R&D activity for the CMS pixel detector. Devices featuring several design and technology options have been irradiated up to a proton fluence1 of 1 multiplied by 10**1**5 n //e//q/cm**2 at the CERN PS. Afterward, they were bump bonded to unirradiated readout chips and tested using high energy pions in the H2 beam line of the CERN SPS. The readout chip allows a nonzero suppressed full analogue readout and therefore a good characterization of the sensors in terms of noise and charge collection properties. The position dependence of signal is presented and the differences between the two sensor options are discussed. 20 Refs.

  17. Adsorption of cations onto positively charged surface mesopores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neue, Uwe; Iraneta, Pamela; Gritti, Fabrice; Guiochon, Georges

    2013-11-29

    Uwe Neue developed a theoretical treatment to account for the adsorption of ions on mesopores of packing materials the walls of which are bonded to ionic ligands but left this work unfinished. We elaborated upon this treatment and refined it, based on the equivalence that he suggested between charged surface particles and a membrane that separates two ionic solutions but is impermeable to one specification. He had written that the electro-chemical potentials in both ionic solutions are equal (Donnan equilibrium). The equilibrium between the surface and the pore concentrations is accounted for by an homogeneous electrostatically modified Langmuir (EML) isotherm model. The theoretical results are presented for four different charge surface concentrations σ0=0, 0.001, 0.002, and 0.003C/m(2), using a phosphate buffer (W(S)pH=2.65) of ionic strength I=10mM. The average pore size, the specific surface area, and the specific pore volume of the stationary phase were Dp=140Å, Sp=182m(2)/g, and Vp=0.70cm(3)/g, respectively. The theoretical results provide the quantitative difference between the ionic strength, the pH, and the concentrations of all the ions in the pores and in the bulk eluent. The theory predicts (1) that the retention times of cations under linear conditions is lower and (2) that their band widths under overloaded conditions for a given retention factor shrinks when the surface charge density σ0 is increased. These theoretical results are in good agreement with experimental results published previously and explain them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. A semi-analytical study of positive corona discharge in wire–plane electrode configuration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanallah, K; Pontiga, F; Chen, J H

    2013-01-01

    Wire-to-plane positive corona discharge in air has been studied using an analytical model of two species (electrons and positive ions). The spatial distributions of electric field and charged species are obtained by integrating Gauss's law and the continuity equations of species along the Laplacian field lines. The experimental values of corona current intensity and applied voltage, together with Warburg's law, have been used to formulate the boundary condition for the electron density on the corona wire. To test the accuracy of the model, the approximate electric field distribution has been compared with the exact numerical solution obtained from a finite element analysis. A parametrical study of wire-to-plane corona discharge has then been undertaken using the approximate semi-analytical solutions. Thus, the spatial distributions of electric field and charged particles have been computed for different values of the gas pressure, wire radius and electrode separation. Also, the two dimensional distribution of ozone density has been obtained using a simplified plasma chemistry model. The approximate semi-analytical solutions can be evaluated in a negligible computational time, yet provide precise estimates of corona discharge variables. (paper)

  19. A semi-analytical study of positive corona discharge in wire-plane electrode configuration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanallah, K.; Pontiga, F.; Chen, J. H.

    2013-08-01

    Wire-to-plane positive corona discharge in air has been studied using an analytical model of two species (electrons and positive ions). The spatial distributions of electric field and charged species are obtained by integrating Gauss's law and the continuity equations of species along the Laplacian field lines. The experimental values of corona current intensity and applied voltage, together with Warburg's law, have been used to formulate the boundary condition for the electron density on the corona wire. To test the accuracy of the model, the approximate electric field distribution has been compared with the exact numerical solution obtained from a finite element analysis. A parametrical study of wire-to-plane corona discharge has then been undertaken using the approximate semi-analytical solutions. Thus, the spatial distributions of electric field and charged particles have been computed for different values of the gas pressure, wire radius and electrode separation. Also, the two dimensional distribution of ozone density has been obtained using a simplified plasma chemistry model. The approximate semi-analytical solutions can be evaluated in a negligible computational time, yet provide precise estimates of corona discharge variables.

  20. Analysis of particle species evolution in neutral beam injection lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.; Haselton, H.H.

    1978-07-01

    Analytic solutions to the rate equations describing the species evolution of a multispecies positive ion beam of hydrogen due to charge exchange and molecular dissociation are derived as a function of the background gas (H 2 ) line density in the neutralizing gas cell and in the drift tube. Using the solutions, calculations are presented for the relative abundance of each species as a function of the gas cell thickness, the reionization loss rates in the drift tube, and the neutral beam power as a function of the beam energy and the species composition of the original ion beam

  1. Positive and negative associations between bacterial species in dental root canals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, B P; Drucker, D B; Lilley, J D

    1994-01-01

    Significant associations have been previously reported between certain pairs of bacterial species isolated from human dental root canals. The aim of this study was to examine microbiologically a more extensive series of cases, with particular reference to obligate anaerobes which accounted for 64% of total isolations. A total of 65 different species was isolated and individual root canals yielded a maximum of eleven bacterial species. Highly significant positive associations (p spp. and Prevotella spp., between Peptostreptococcus spp. and P. melaninogenica, between P. micros and Prevotella spp., P. micros and P. melaninogenica and between Prevotella spp. and Eubacterium spp., all with an ODDS ratio of > 9.0. In contrast, negative and highly significant associations (p spp., B. gracilis/F. nucleatum and between B. gracilis/Fusobacterium spp.; all with an ODDS ratio of < 0.5. Some previously published associations were confirmed and some new associations were found, while some negative associations became apparent.

  2. Charge exchange cooling in the tandem mirror plasma confinement apparatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Logan, B.G.

    1978-01-01

    A method and apparatus are described for cooling a plasma confined in the center mirror cell of the tandem mirror apparatus by injecting cold neutral species of the plasma into at least one mirroring region of the center mirror cell. The cooling is due to the loss of warm charged species through charge exchange with the cold neutral species with resulting diffusion of the warm neutral species out of the plasma

  3. Electrical Conductivity of Rocks and Dominant Charge Carriers. Part 1; Thermally Activated Positive Holes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freund, Friedemann T.; Freund, Minoru M.

    2012-01-01

    The prevailing view in the geophysics community is that the electrical conductivity structure of the Earth's continental crust over the 5-35 km depth range can best be understood by assuming the presence of intergranular fluids and/or of intragranular carbon films. Based on single crystal studies of melt-grown MgO, magma-derived sanidine and anorthosite feldspars and upper mantle olivine, we present evidence for the presence of electronic charge carriers, which derive from peroxy defects that are introduced during cooling, under non-equilibrium conditions, through a redox conversion of pairs of solute hydroxyl arising from dissolution of H2O.The peroxy defects become thermally activated in a 2-step process, leading to the release of defect electrons in the oxygen anion sublattice. Known as positive holes and symbolized by h(dot), these electronic charge carriers are highly mobile. Chemically equivalent to O(-) in a matrix of O(2-) they are highly oxidizing. Being metastable they can exist in the matrix of minerals, which crystallized in highly reduced environments. The h(dot) are highly mobile. They appear to control the electrical conductivity of crustal rocks in much of the 5-35 km depth range.

  4. Two-dimensional potential and charge distributions of positive surface streamer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Daiki; Matsuoka, Shigeyasu; Kumada, Akiko; Hidaka, Kunihiko

    2009-01-01

    Information on the potential and the field profile along a surface discharge is required for quantitatively discussing and clarifying the propagation mechanism. The sensing technique with a Pockels crystal has been developed for directly measuring the potential and electric field distribution on a dielectric material. In this paper, the Pockels sensing system consists of a pulse laser and a CCD camera for measuring the instantaneous two-dimensional potential distribution on a 25.4 mm square area with a 50 μm sampling pitch. The temporal resolution is 3.2 ns which is determined by the pulse width of the laser emission. The transient change in the potential distribution of a positive surface streamer propagating in atmospheric air is measured with this system. The electric field and the charge distributions are also calculated from the measured potential profile. The propagating direction component of the electric field near the tip of the propagating streamer reaches 3 kV mm -1 . When the streamer stops, the potential distribution along a streamer forms an almost linear profile with the distance from the electrode, and its gradient is about 0.5 kV mm -1 .

  5. Accumulation and dissipation of positive charges induced on a PMMA build-up cap of an ionisation chamber by 60Co gamma-ray irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morishita, Y.; Takata, N.

    2013-01-01

    The signal current from an ionisation chamber with a PMMA build-up cap decreases with irradiation time due to electric fields produced by positive charges induced on the cap. In the present study, it was confirmed that the signal current decreases faster for irradiation using narrower 60 Co gamma-ray beams. This is because the number of secondary electrons that are emitted from surrounding materials and penetrate the build-up cap is smaller in a narrower gamma-ray beam, so that fewer positive charges are neutralised. The ionisation chamber was first subjected to continuous gamma-ray irradiation for 24 h, following which it was irradiated with shorter periodic gamma-ray bursts while measuring the current signal. This allowed the coefficients of positive charge accumulation and dissipation to be determined. It was found that the dissipation coefficient has a large constant value during gamma-ray irradiation and decreases asymptotically to a small value after irradiation is stopped. From the coefficients, the minimum signal current was calculated, which is the value when accumulation and dissipation balance each other under continuous irradiation. The time required for the signal current to recover following irradiation was also calculated. (authors)

  6. Enhanced biomimic bactericidal surfaces by coating with positively-charged ZIF nano-dagger arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Yuan; Zhang, Yugen

    2017-10-01

    Cicada wing surfaces are covered with dense patterns of nano-pillar structure that prevent bacterial growth by rupturing adhered microbial cells. To mimic the natural nano-pillar structure, we developed a general and simple method to grow metal organic framework (MOF) nano-dagger arrays on a wide range of surfaces. These nano-daggers possess high bactericidal activity, with log reduction >7 for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It was hypothesized that the positively-charged ZIF-L nano-dagger surfaces enhance bacterial cell adhesion, facilitating selective and efficient bacteria killing by the rigid and sharp nano-dagger tips. This research provides a safe and clean antimicrobial surface technology which does not require external chemicals and will not cause drug resistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Design study of beam position monitors for measuring second-order moments of charged particle beams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenichi Yanagida

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a theoretical investigation on the multipole moments of charged particle beams in two-dimensional polar coordinates. The theoretical description of multipole moments is based on a single-particle system that is expanded to a multiparticle system by superposition, i.e., summing over all single-particle results. This paper also presents an analysis and design method for a beam position monitor (BPM that detects higher-order (multipole moments of a charged particle beam. To calculate the electric fields, a numerical analysis based on the finite difference method was created and carried out. Validity of the numerical analysis was proven by comparing the numerical with the analytical results for a BPM with circular cross section. Six-electrode BPMs with circular and elliptical cross sections were designed for the SPring-8 linac. The results of the numerical calculations show that the second-order moment can be detected for beam sizes ≧420  μm (circular and ≧550  μm (elliptical.

  8. Position statement on ethics, equipoise and research on charged particle radiation therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheehan, Mark; Timlin, Claire; Peach, Ken; Binik, Ariella; Puthenparampil, Wilson; Lodge, Mark; Kehoe, Sean; Brada, Michael; Burnet, Neil; Clarke, Steve; Crellin, Adrian; Dunn, Michael; Fossati, Piero; Harris, Steve; Hocken, Michael; Hope, Tony; Ives, Jonathan; Kamada, Tadashi; London, Alex John; Miller, Robert; Parker, Michael; Pijls-Johannesma, Madelon; Savulescu, Julian; Short, Susan; Skene, Loane; Tsujii, Hirohiko; Tuan, Jeffrey; Weijer, Charles

    2014-08-01

    The use of charged-particle radiation therapy (CPRT) is an increasingly important development in the treatment of cancer. One of the most pressing controversies about the use of this technology is whether randomised controlled trials are required before this form of treatment can be considered to be the treatment of choice for a wide range of indications. Equipoise is the key ethical concept in determining which research studies are justified. However, there is a good deal of disagreement about how this concept is best understood and applied in the specific case of CPRT. This report is a position statement on these controversies that arises out of a workshop held at Wolfson College, Oxford in August 2011. The workshop brought together international leaders in the relevant fields (radiation oncology, medical physics, radiobiology, research ethics and methodology), including proponents on both sides of the debate, in order to make significant progress on the ethical issues associated with CPRT research. This position statement provides an ethical platform for future research and should enable further work to be done in developing international coordinated programmes of research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  9. Effective Area and Charge Density of Iridium Oxide Neural Electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harris, Alexander R.; Paolini, Antonio G.; Wallace, Gordon G.

    2017-01-01

    The effective electrode area and charge density of iridium metal and anodically activated iridium has been measured by optical and electrochemical techniques. The degree of electrode activation could be assessed by changes in electrode colour. The reduction charge, activation charge, number of activation pulses and charge density were all strongly correlated. Activated iridium showed slow electron transfer kinetics for reduction of a dissolved redox species. At fast voltammetric scan rates the linear diffusion electroactive area was unaffected by iridium activation. At slow voltammetric scan rates, the steady state diffusion electroactive area was reduced by iridium activation. The steady state current was consistent with a ring electrode geometry, with lateral resistance reducing the electrode area. Slow electron transfer on activated iridium would require a larger overpotential to reduce or oxidise dissolved species in tissue, limiting the electrodes charge capacity but also reducing the likelihood of generating toxic species in vivo.

  10. The effect of space charge force on beams extracted from ECR ion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie, Z.Q.

    1989-01-01

    A new 3 dimensional ray tracing code BEAM-3D, with a simple model to calculate the space charge force of multiple ion species, is under development and serves as a theoretical tool to study the ECRIS beam formation. Excellent agreement between the BEAM-3D calculations and beam profile and emittance measurements of the total extracted helium 1+ beam from the RTECR ion source was obtained when a low degree of beam neutralization was assumed in the calculations. The experimental evidence indicates that the positive space charge effects dominate the early RTECR ion source beam formation and beamline optics matching process. A review of important beam characteristics is made, including a conceptual model for the space charge beam blow up. Better beam transport through the RTECR beamline analysis magnet has resulted after an extraction geometry modification in which the space charge force was more correctly matched. This work involved the development of an online beam characteristic measuring apparatus which will also be described

  11. The regiochemical distribution of positive charges along cholesterol polyamine carbamates plays significant roles in modulating DNA binding affinity and lipofection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geall, A J; Eaton, M A; Baker, T; Catterall, C; Blagbrough, I S

    1999-10-15

    We have quantified the effects of the regiochemical distribution of positive charges along the polyamine moiety in lipopolyamines for DNA molecular recognition. High affinity binding leads to charge neutralisation, DNA condensation and ultimately to lipofection. Binding affinities for calf thymus DNA were determined using an ethidium bromide displacement assay and condensation was detected by changes in turbidity using light scattering. The in vitro transfection competence of cholesterol polyamine carbamates was measured in CHO cells. In the design of DNA condensing and transfecting agents for non-viral gene therapy, the interrelationship of ammonium ions, not just their number, must be considered.

  12. Impact of charge-transfer excitons in regioregular polythiophene on the charge separation at polythiophene-fullerene heterojunctions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polkehn, M.; Tamura, H.; Burghardt, I.

    2018-01-01

    This study addresses the mechanism of ultrafast charge separation in regioregular oligothiophene-fullerene assemblies representative of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)-[6,6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) heterojunctions, with special emphasis on the inclusion of charge transfer excitons in the oligothiophene phase. The formation of polaronic inter-chain charge separated species in highly ordered oligothiophene has been demonstrated in recent experiments and could have a significant impact on the net charge transfer to the fullerene acceptor. The present approach combines a first-principles parametrized multi-site Hamiltonian, based on time-dependent density functional theory calculations, with accurate quantum dynamics simulations using the multi-layer multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree method. Quantum dynamical studies are carried out for up to 182 electronic states and 112 phonon modes. The present analysis follows up on our previous study of (Huix-Rotllant et al 2015 J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 6 1702) and significantly expands the scope of this analysis by including the dynamical role of charge transfer excitons. Our investigation highlights the pronounced mixing of photogenerated Frenkel excitons with charge transfer excitons in the oligothiophene domain, and the opening of new transfer channels due the creation of such charge-separated species. As a result, it turns out that the interfacial donor/acceptor charge transfer state can be largely circumvented due to the presence of charge transfer excitons. However, the latter states in turn act as a trap, such that the free carrier yield observed on ultrafast time scales is tangibly reduced. The present analysis underscores the complexity of the transfer pathways at P3HT-PCBM type junctions.

  13. The role of charge in the surfactant-assisted stabilization of the natural product curcumin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zifan; Leung, Mandy H M; Kee, Tak W; English, Douglas S

    2010-04-20

    Colloidal solutions of surfactants that form micelles or vesicles are useful for solubilizing and stabilizing hydrophobic molecules that are otherwise sparingly soluble in aqueous solutions. In this paper we investigate the use of micelles and vesicles prepared from ionic surfactants for solubilizing and stabilizing curcumin, a medicinal natural product that undergoes alkaline hydrolysis in water. We identify spectroscopic signatures to evaluate curcumin partitioning and deprotonation in surfactant mixtures containing micelles or vesicles. These spectroscopic signatures allow us to monitor the interaction of curcumin with charged surfactants over a wide range of pH values. Titration data are presented to show the pH dependence of curcumin interactions with negatively and positively charged micelles and vesicles. In solutions of cationic micelles or positively charged vesicles, strong interaction between the Cur(-1) phenoxide ion and the positively charged surfactants results in a change in the acidity of the phenolic hydrogen and a lowering of the apparent lowest pK(a) value for curcumin. In the microenvironments formed by anionic micelles or negatively charged bilayers, our data indicates that curcumin partitions as the Cur(0) species, which is stabilized by interactions with the respective surfactant aggregates, and this leads to an increase in the apparent pK(a) values. Our results may explain some of the discrepancies within the literature with respect to reported pK(a) values and the acidity of the enolic versus phenolic protons. Hydrolysis rates, quantum yields, and molar absorption coefficients are reported for curcumin in a variety of solutions.

  14. Exotic species and genetically modified organisms in aquaculture and enhanced fisheries: ICLARM's position

    OpenAIRE

    Pullin, R.S.V.

    1994-01-01

    This article contains a discussion paper on the use of exotic species and genetically modified organisms in aquaculture and enhanced fisheries, together with a summary of ICLARM's (International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, Philippines) current position on this important topic.

  15. Electrostatic behavior of the charge-regulated bacterial cell surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Yongsuk; Brown, Derick G

    2008-05-06

    The electrostatic behavior of the charge-regulated surfaces of Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Bacillus brevis was studied using numerical modeling in conjunction with potentiometric titration and electrophoretic mobility data as a function of solution pH and electrolyte composition. Assuming a polyelectrolytic polymeric bacterial cell surface, these experimental and numerical analyses were used to determine the effective site numbers of cell surface acid-base functional groups and Ca(2+) sorption coefficients. Using effective site concentrations determined from 1:1 electrolyte (NaCl) experimental data, the charge-regulation model was able to replicate the effects of 2:1 electrolyte (CaCl(2)), both alone and as a mixture with NaCl, on the measured zeta potential using a single Ca(2+) surface binding constant for each of the bacterial species. This knowledge is vital for understanding how cells respond to changes in solution pH and electrolyte composition as well as how they interact with other surfaces. The latter is especially important due to the widespread use of the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory in the interpretation of bacterial adhesion. As surface charge and surface potential both vary on a charge-regulated surface, accurate modeling of bacterial interactions with surfaces ultimately requires use of an electrostatic model that accounts for the charge-regulated nature of the cell surface.

  16. Peak position differences observed during XPS sputter depth profiling of the SEI on lithiated and delithiated carbon-based anode material for Li-ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oswald, S., E-mail: s.oswald@ifw-dresden.de; Hoffmann, M.; Zier, M.

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • In XPS measurements at graphite anodes for Li-ion batteries specific binding energy variations are observed for the SEI species. • The binding energy variations depend on the charging state of the graphite and not on surface charging effects. • Obviously the presence of elemental Li leads to a potential surface gradient in contact with surface layers. • The energy position of implanted Ar can be used as characteristic feature during sputter depth profiling experiments. - Abstract: The ability of delivering chemical information from peak shift phenomena has ever since made X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) an ideal tool for material characterization in Li-ion batteries (LIB). Upon investigation, charging is inevitable as most of the chemical species involved are non-conducting. Thus, the binding energy (BE) scale must be corrected to allow an accurate interpretation of the results. This is usually done using the peak position of the ubiquitous surface carbon contamination detectable for all Li-ion battery relevant materials. We herein report on the occurrence of peak shift phenomena that can be observed when investigating surface layers on graphite anodes using sputter depth-profiling. These shifts, however, are not related to classical static electric charging, but are depending on the state of charge (lithiation) of the anode material. The observations presented are in agreement with previous findings on other Li-containing materials and are obviously caused by the presence of Li in its elemental state. As aging and failure mechanisms in LIBs are closely linked to electrolyte reaction products on electrode surfaces it is of high importance to draw the correct conclusions on their chemical origin from XP spectra. In order to avoid misinterpretation of the BE positions, implanted Ar can be used for identification of relevant peak positions and species involved in the phenomena observed.

  17. Angular momentum of an electric charge and magnetically charged black hole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garfinkle, D. (California Univ., Santa Barbara (USA). Dept. of Physics); Rey, S.J. (California Univ., Santa Barbara (USA). Dept. of Physics Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (USA). Inst. for Fundamental Theory)

    1991-03-21

    We find the angular momentum L of a point particle with electric charge e held at a fixed position in the presence of a black hole with magnetic charge g. (For a point charge in the presence of an ordinary magnetic monopole, it is known that L=eg.) The angular momentum does depend on the separation distance between the particle and the black hole; however, L->eg for a large separation. Implications for the cosmic censorship hypothesis, the quantum hairs and other physical situations are discussed. (orig.).

  18. Positive indirect interactions between neighboring plant species via a lizard pollinator.

    OpenAIRE

    Hansen, D M; Kiesbüy, H C; Jones, C G; Müller, C B

    2007-01-01

    In natural communities, species are embedded in networks of direct and indirect interactions. Most studies on indirect interactions have focused on how they affect predator-prey or competitive relationships. However, it is equally likely that indirect interactions play an important structuring role in mutualistic relationships in a natural community. We demonstrate experimentally that on a small spatial scale, dense thickets of endemic Pandanus plants have a strong positive trait-mediated ind...

  19. Charge gradient microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelofs, Andreas; Hong, Seungbum

    2018-02-06

    A method for rapid imaging of a material specimen includes positioning a tip to contact the material specimen, and applying a force to a surface of the material specimen via the tip. In addition, the method includes moving the tip across the surface of the material specimen while removing electrical charge therefrom, generating a signal produced by contact between the tip and the surface, and detecting, based on the data, the removed electrical charge induced through the tip during movement of the tip across the surface. The method further includes measuring the detected electrical charge.

  20. Advances in Charge-Compensation in Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hervig, R. L.; Chen, J.; Schauer, S.; Stanley, B. D.; Moore, G. M.; Roggensack, K.

    2012-12-01

    In secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), a sample is bombarded by a charged particle beam (the primary ion) and sputtered positive or negative secondary ions are analyzed in a mass spectrometer. When the target is not conducting (like many geological materials), sample charging can result in variable deflection of secondary ions away from the mass spectrometer and a low, unstable, or absent signal. Applying a thin conducting coat (e.g., C, Au) to polished samples is required, and if the primary ion beam is negatively-charged, the build-up of negative charge can be alleviated by secondary electrons draining to the conducting coat at the edge of the crater (if a positive potential is applied to the sample for the collection of positive secondary ions) or accelerated away from the crater (if a negative potential is applied for negative ion study). Unless the sputtered crater in the conducting coat becomes too large, sample charging can be kept at a controllable level, and high-quality trace element analyses and isotope ratios have been obtained using this technique over the past 3+ decades. When a positive primary beam is used, the resulting build-up of positive charge in the sample requires an electron gun to deliver sufficient negative charge to the sputtered crater. While there are many examples of successful analyses using this approach, the purpose of this presentation is to describe a very simple technique for aligning the electron gun on Cameca nf and 1270/80 SIMS instruments. This method allows reproducible analyses of insulating phases with a Cs+ primary beam and detection of negative secondary ions. Normally, the filament voltage on the E-gun is the same as the sample voltage; thus electrons do not strike the sample except when a positive charge has built up (e.g., in the analysis crater!). In this method, we decrease the sample voltage by 3 or more kV, so that the impact energy of the electrons is sufficient to induce a cathodoluminescent (CL) image on an

  1. Diffusion of Charged Species in Liquids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Río, J. A.; Whitaker, S.

    2016-11-01

    In this study the laws of mechanics for multi-component systems are used to develop a theory for the diffusion of ions in the presence of an electrostatic field. The analysis begins with the governing equation for the species velocity and it leads to the governing equation for the species diffusion velocity. Simplification of this latter result provides a momentum equation containing three dominant forces: (a) the gradient of the partial pressure, (b) the electrostatic force, and (c) the diffusive drag force that is a central feature of the Maxwell-Stefan equations. For ideal gas mixtures we derive the classic Nernst-Planck equation. For liquid-phase diffusion we encounter a situation in which the Nernst-Planck contribution to diffusion differs by several orders of magnitude from that obtained for ideal gases.

  2. Angular momentum of an electric charge and magnetically charged black hole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garfinkle, D.; Rey, Soo-Jong

    1990-01-01

    We find the angular momentum L of a point particle with electric charge e held at a fixed position in the presence of a black hole with magnetic charge g. (For a point charge in the presence of an of ordinary magnetic monopole, it is known that L = eg). The angular momentum does depend on the separation distance between the particle and the black hole; however, L → eg for a large separation. Implications for the cosmic censorship hypothesis, the quantum hairs and other physical situations are discussed

  3. Alpha-conotoxin analogs with additional positive charge show increased selectivity towards Torpedo californica and some neuronal subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kasheverov, I.E.; Zhmak, M.N.; Vulfius, C.A.; Corbacheva, E.V.; Mordvintsev, D.Y.; Utkin, Y.N.; van Elk, R.; Smit, A.B.; Tsetlin, V.I.

    2006-01-01

    α-Conotoxins from Conus snails are indispensable tools for distinguishing various subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and synthesis of α-conotoxin analogs may yield novel antagonists of higher potency and selectivity. We incorporated additional positive charges into α-conotoxins

  4. Charge Inversion of Phospholipids by Dimetal Complexes for Positive Ion-Mode Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svane, Simon; Gorshkov, Vladimir; Kjeldsen, Frank

    2015-01-01

    charges per phosphate group. Three different phosphoinositide phosphates (mono-, di-, and triphosphorylated inositides), a phosphatidic acid, a phosphatidylcholine, a phosphatidylethanolamine, and a phosphatidylglycerol were investigated. The intensities obtained in positive ion-mode of phosphoinositide...... phosphates and phosphatidic acid bound to {LGa2}(5+) were between 2.5- and 116-fold higher than that of the unmodified lipids in the negative ion-mode. Native phosphoinositide ions yielded upon CID in the negative ion-mode predominantly product ions due to losses of H3PO4, PO3(-) and H2O. In comparison, CID...

  5. Rapid charging of nickel-cadmium accumulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruck, F

    1972-01-01

    Four types of charging of gas-tight Ni-Cd accumulators (a) normal; (b) accelerated; (c) rapid; and (d) ultra-rapid are described. For rapid charging, a built-in temperature sensor cuts off charging current at a prescribed point. In ultra-rapid charging, 50% charge can be attained in 3.5 min. and 25% charge within 50 sec. In the second phase of ultra-rapid charging, a surplus of oxygen is released at the positive electrode and a safety valve is provided for pressure reduction. Characteristic curves are given for various rates of charging and some data on discharge rates is also given.

  6. Variation in habitat connectivity generates positive correlations between species and genetic diversity in a metacommunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamy, T; Jarne, P; Laroche, F; Pointier, J-P; Huth, G; Segard, A; David, P

    2013-09-01

    An increasing number of studies are simultaneously investigating species diversity (SD) and genetic diversity (GD) in the same systems, looking for 'species- genetic diversity correlations' (SGDCs). From negative to positive SGDCs have been reported, but studies have generally not quantified the processes underlying these correlations. They were also mostly conducted at large biogeographical scales or in recently degraded habitats. Such correlations have not been looked for in natural networks of connected habitat fragments (metacommunities), and the underlying processes remain elusive in most systems. We investigated these issues by studying freshwater snails in a pond network in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles). We recorded SD and habitat characteristics in 232 ponds and assessed GD in 75 populations of two species. Strongly significant and positive SGDCs were detected in both species. Based on a decomposition of SGDC as a function of variance-covariance of habitat characteristics, we showed that connectivity (opportunity of water flow between a site and the nearest watershed during the rainy season) has the strongest contribution on SGDCs. More connective sites received both more alleles and more species through immigration resulting in both higher GD and higher SD. Other habitat characteristics did not contribute, or contributed negatively, to SGDCs. This is true of the desiccation frequency of ponds during the dry season, presumably because species markedly differ in their ability to tolerate desiccation. Our study shows that variation in environmental characteristics of habitat patches can promote SGDCs at metacommunity scale when the studied species respond homogeneously to these environmental characteristics. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. An experimental study of charge exchange process in the energy range 1-30 keV during the passage of alkali metal ions and atoms through cesium and potassium vapour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wittchow, F.

    1979-01-01

    An experimental study is presented of the charge exchange processes in the energy range of about 1-30 keV during the passage of positive alkali ions and alkali atoms through potassium and cesium vapour. The experimental set-up designed for this experiment includes a thermionic source for positive alkali ions with an acceleration stage, a first charge exchange cell to produce fast alkali atoms, a second charge exchange cell with a surface ionisation detector to determine the alkali metal vapor target thickness and a detection system with electrostatic bending of the charged secondary species. The maximum negative ion yield has been determined for the collision systems Li + + K, Na + + K, K + + K, and Rb + + K, and for another eleven systems the charge transfer cross-sections have been measured too. (orig./GG) [de

  8. Adaptation and evolution of deep-sea scale worms (Annelida: Polynoidae): insights from transcriptome comparison with a shallow-water species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanjie; Sun, Jin; Chen, Chong; Watanabe, Hiromi K.; Feng, Dong; Zhang, Yu; Chiu, Jill M.Y.; Qian, Pei-Yuan; Qiu, Jian-Wen

    2017-01-01

    Polynoid scale worms (Polynoidae, Annelida) invaded deep-sea chemosynthesis-based ecosystems approximately 60 million years ago, but little is known about their genetic adaptation to the extreme deep-sea environment. In this study, we reported the first two transcriptomes of deep-sea polynoids (Branchipolynoe pettiboneae, Lepidonotopodium sp.) and compared them with the transcriptome of a shallow-water polynoid (Harmothoe imbricata). We determined codon and amino acid usage, positive selected genes, highly expressed genes and putative duplicated genes. Transcriptome assembly produced 98,806 to 225,709 contigs in the three species. There were more positively charged amino acids (i.e., histidine and arginine) and less negatively charged amino acids (i.e., aspartic acid and glutamic acid) in the deep-sea species. There were 120 genes showing clear evidence of positive selection. Among the 10% most highly expressed genes, there were more hemoglobin genes with high expression levels in both deep-sea species. The duplicated genes related to DNA recombination and metabolism, and gene expression were only enriched in deep-sea species. Deep-sea scale worms adopted two strategies of adaptation to hypoxia in the chemosynthesis-based habitats (i.e., rapid evolution of tetra-domain hemoglobin in Branchipolynoe or high expression of single-domain hemoglobin in Lepidonotopodium sp.). PMID:28397791

  9. 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.

  10. Anomalously high yield of doubly charged Si ions sputtered from cleaned Si surface by keV neutral Ar impact

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shinde, N.; Morita, K. E-mail: k-morita@mail.nucl.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Dhole, S.D.; Ishikawa, D

    2001-08-01

    The energy spectra of positively charged and neutral species ejected from the Si(1 1 1) surfaces by keV Ar impact have been measured by means of a combined technique of the time-of-flight (TOF) analysis with the multi-photon resonance ionization spectroscopy (MPRIS). It is shown that positively charged species of Si{sup +}, Si{sup 2+} and SiO{sup +} are ejected from the as-cleaned 7x7 surface by 11 keV Ar impact. It is also shown that Ar sputter cleaning of the as-cleaned 7x7 surface for 14 min at the flux of 2x10{sup 13}/cm{sup 2}s removes completely the oxygen impurity and the yields of Si{sup 2+} is comparable to that of Si{sup +}. Moreover, the ionization probability of Si atoms sputtered is shown to be expressed as an exponential function of the inverse of their velocity. The production mechanism for the doubly charged Si ion is discussed based on the L-shell ionization of Si atoms due to quasi-molecule formation in the collisions of the surface atoms with energetic recoils and subsequent Auger decay of the L-shell vacancy to doubly ionized Si ions.

  11. Thunderstorm Charge Structures Producing Negative Gigantic Jets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boggs, L.; Liu, N.; Riousset, J. A.; Shi, F.; Rassoul, H.

    2016-12-01

    Here we present observational and modeling results that provide insight into thunderstorm charge structures that produce gigantic jet discharges. The observational results include data from four different thunderstorms producing 9 negative gigantic jets from 2010 to 2014. We used radar, very high frequency (VHF) and low frequency (LF) lightning data to analyze the storm characteristics, charge structures, and lightning activity when the gigantic jets emerged from the parent thunderstorms. A detailed investigation of the evolution of one of the charge structures by analyzing the VHF data is also presented. The newly found charge structure obtained from the observations was analyzed with fractal modeling and compared with previous fractal modeling studies [Krehbiel et al., Nat. Geosci., 1, 233-237, 2008; Riousset et al., JGR, 115, A00E10, 2010] of gigantic jet discharges. Our work finds that for normal polarity thunderstorms, gigantic jet charge structures feature a narrow upper positive charge region over a wide middle negative charge region. There also likely exists a `ring' of negative screening charge located around the perimeter of the upper positive charge. This is different from previously thought charge structures of the storms producing gigantic jets, which had a very wide upper positive charge region over a wide middle negative charge region, with a very small negative screening layer covering the cloud top. The newly found charge structure results in leader discharge trees in the fractal simulations that closely match the parent flashes of gigantic jets inside and outside the thundercloud. The previously used charge structures, while vital to the understanding of gigantic jet initiation and the role of charge imbalances inside the cloud, do not produce leader discharge trees that agree with observed gigantic jet discharges.Finally, the newly discovered gigantic jet charge structures are formed near the end of a convective pulse [Meyer et al., JGR, 118

  12. The effects of landscape position on plant species density: Evidence of past environmental effects in a coastal wetland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grace, J.B.; Guntenspergen, G.R.

    1999-01-01

    Here we propose that an important cause of variation in species density may be prior environmental conditions that continue to influence current patterns. In this paper we investigated the degree to which species density varies with location within the landscape, independent of contemporaneous environmental conditions. The area studied was a coastal marsh landscape subject to periodic storm events. To evaluate the impact of historical effects, it was assumed that the landscape position of a plot relative to the river's mouth ('distance from sea') and to the edge of a stream channel ('distance from shore') would correlate with the impact of prior storm events, an assumption supported by previous studies. To evaluate the importance of spatial location on species density, data were collected from five sites located at increasing distances from the river's mouth along the Middle Pearl River in Louisiana. At each site, plots were established systematically along transects perpendicular to the shoreline. For each of the 175 Plots, we measured elevation, soil salinity, percent of plot recently disturbed, percent of sunlight captured by the plant canopy (as a measure of plant abundance), and plant species density. Structural equation analysis ascertained the degree to which landscape position variables explained variation in species density that could not be explained by current environmental indicators. Without considering landscape variables, 54% of the variation in species density could be explained by the effects of salinity, flooding, and plant abundance. When landscape variables were included, distance from shore was unimportant but distance from sea explained an additional 12% of the variance in species density (R2 of final model = 66%). Based on these results it appears that at least some of the otherwise unexplained variation in species density can be attributed to landscape position, and presumably previous storm events. We suggest that future studies may gain

  13. The impact of irradiation induced specimen charging on microanalysis in a scanning electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevens-Kalceff, M.A.

    2003-01-01

    subsurface specimen charging may still be significant. Charged beam irradiation of poorly conducting materials results in the trapping of charge at pre-existing or irradiation induced defects thereby inducing a localized electric field within the irradiated micro-volume of specimen. The residual surface potentials associated with the localized trapped charge induced electric field have been mapped using KPM. Evidence of electro-diffusion and defect micro-segregation in charged beam irradiated silicon dioxide is observed. The associated mobile defect species are identified using CL microanalysis techniques. The high correlation between KPM and CL images confirms the significant influence of localized potentials on the microstructure of technologically important silicon dioxide. In order to relate the observed potentials to the electron beam induced specimen charging, the calculated potential profiles are evaluated using three dimensional conformal Finite Element Analysis. It is demonstrated that relatively simple models of specimen charging are able to account for the observed potentials resulting from focussed electron irradiation of poorly conducting materials. The complex processes involved in the production and spatial segregation of defects (e.g. interstitial molecular and atomic species) in poorly conducting materials are dependent on highly localized irradiation induced electric fields. When poorly conducting materials are irradiated with electrons, a sub-surface electric field may be induced due to the localization of charges at defects. Negatively charged species will migrate towards the surface, while positively charged species will migrate towards the region of maximum negative trapped charge, towards the base of the interaction volume. Electron beam irradiation of silicon dioxide produces characteristic highly correlated changes in the spatial distribution of CL emission, in the topography of the irradiated surface, and the localised residual surface potential

  14. The 4-pyridylmethyl ester as a protecting group for glutamic and aspartic acids: 'flipping' peptide charge states for characterization by positive ion mode ESI-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garapati, Sriramya; Burns, Colin S

    2014-03-01

    Use of the 4-pyridylmethyl ester group for side-chain protection of glutamic acid residues in solid-phase peptide synthesis enables switching of the charge state of a peptide from negative to positive, thus making detection by positive ion mode ESI-MS possible. The pyridylmethyl ester moiety is readily removed from peptides in high yield by hydrogenation. Combining the 4-pyridylmethyl ester protecting group with benzyl ester protection reduces the number of the former needed to produce a net positive charge and allows for purification by RP HPLC. This protecting group is useful in the synthesis of highly acidic peptide sequences, which are often beset by problems with purification by standard RP HPLC and characterization by ESI-MS. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Submicron position-sensitive detector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pugatch, V M; Rosenfeld, A B; Litovchenko, P G; Barabash, L I; Nemets, O F; Pavlenko, Yu N; Vasiliev, Yu O [Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev (Ukraine). Inst. for Nuclear Research

    1992-08-01

    A method has been developed to measure precisely the coordinates of charged particles incident between adjacent strips of a strip detector. The position sensitivity of an inter-strip gap has been studied by means of a pulsed laser beam and irradiation by [alpha]-particles of a [sup 226]Ra-source. The capacitive division of charge generated by the incident particle depends on the position of its track. Its coordinates were determined by two-dimensional amplitude analysis of the charges collected by neighbouring strips. This method of coordinate determination applied to studies of spatial and energy distributions of electromagnetic as well as charged particle beams (including radioactive ion beams) of low intensity could provide the highest level of the precision limited by the track dimensions of charged particles, i.e. percents of a micrometer. (orig.).

  16. Charge Fluctuations of an Uncharged Black Hole

    OpenAIRE

    Schiffer, Marcelo

    2016-01-01

    In this paper we calculate charge fluctuations of a Schwarzschild black-hole of mass $M$ confined within a perfectly reflecting cavity of radius R in thermal equilibrium with various species of radiation and fermions . Charge conservation is constrained by a Lagrange multiplier (the chemical potential). Black hole charge fluctuations are expected owing to continuous absorption and emission of particles by the black hole. For black holes much more massive than $10^{16} g$ , these fluctuations ...

  17. The influence of charge and the distribution of charge in the polar region of phospholipids on the activity of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakim, D; Eibl, H

    1992-07-05

    Studies of the mechanism of lipid-induced regulation of the microsomal enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase have been extended by examining the influence of charge within the polar region on the ability of lipids to activate delipidated pure enzyme. The effects of net negative charge, of charge separation in phosphocholine, and of the distribution of charge in the polar region of lipids were studied using the GT2p isoform isolated from pig liver. Prior experiments have shown that lipids with net negative charge inhibit the enzyme (Zakim, D., Cantor, M., and Eibl, H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 5164-5169). The current experiments show that the extent of inhibition on a molar basis increases as the net negative charge increases from -1 to -2. The inhibitory effect of negatively charged lipids is on the functional state of the enzyme and is not due to electrostatic repulsion of negatively charged substrates of the enzyme. Although the inhibitory effect of net negative charge is removed when negative charge is balanced by a positive charge due to a quaternary nitrogen, neutrality of the polar region is not a sufficient condition for activation of the enzyme. In addition to a balance of charge between Pi and the quaternary nitrogen, the distance between the negative and positive charges and the orientation of the dipole created by them are critical for activation of GT2p. The negative and positive charges must be separated by the equivalent of three -CH2- groups for optimal activation by a lipid. Shortening this distance by one -CH2- unit leads to a lipid that is ineffective in activating the enzyme. Reversal of the orientation of the dipole in which the negative charge is on the polymethylene side of the lipid-water interface and the positive charge extends into water also produces a lipid that is not effective for activating GT2p. On the other hand, lipids with phosphoserine as the polar region, which has the "normal" P-N distance but carries a net negative charge, do

  18. Transcriptome-based phylogeny of endemic Lake Baikal amphipod species flock: fast speciation accompanied by frequent episodes of positive selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naumenko, Sergey A; Logacheva, Maria D; Popova, Nina V; Klepikova, Anna V; Penin, Aleksey A; Bazykin, Georgii A; Etingova, Anna E; Mugue, Nikolai S; Kondrashov, Alexey S; Yampolsky, Lev Y

    2017-01-01

    Endemic species flocks inhabiting ancient lakes, oceanic islands and other long-lived isolated habitats are often interpreted as adaptive radiations. Yet molecular evidence for directional selection during species flocks radiation is scarce. Using partial transcriptomes of 64 species of Lake Baikal (Siberia, Russia) endemic amphipods and two nonendemic outgroups, we report a revised phylogeny of this species flock and analyse evidence for positive selection within the endemic lineages. We confirm two independent invasions of amphipods into Baikal and demonstrate that several morphological features of Baikal amphipods, such as body armour and reduction in appendages and sensory organs, evolved in several lineages in parallel. Radiation of Baikal amphipods has been characterized by short phylogenetic branches and frequent episodes of positive selection which tended to be more frequent in the early phase of the second invasion of amphipods into Baikal when the most intensive diversification occurred. Notably, signatures of positive selection are frequent in genes encoding mitochondrial membrane proteins with electron transfer chain and ATP synthesis functionality. In particular, subunits of both the membrane and substrate-level ATP synthases show evidence of positive selection in the plankton species Macrohectopus branickii, possibly indicating adaptation to active plankton lifestyle and to survival under conditions of low temperature and high hydrostatic pressures known to affect membranes functioning. Other functional categories represented among genes likely to be under positive selection include Ca-binding muscle-related proteins, possibly indicating adaptation to Ca-deficient low mineralization Baikal waters. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Influence of an O2 background gas on the composition and kinetic energies of species in laser induced La0.4Ca0.6MnO3 plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jikun; Stender, Dieter; Bator, Matthias; Schneider, Christof W.; Lippert, Thomas; Wokaun, Alexander

    2013-08-01

    Oxygen is one of the most commonly used background gases for pulsed laser deposition of oxide thin films. In this work the properties of a 308 nm laser-induced La0.4Ca0.6MnO3 plasma were analyzed using a quadrupole mass spectrometer combined with an energy analyzer, to investigate the interaction between the various plasma species and the background gas. The composition and kinetic energies of the plasma species were compared in vacuum and an O2 background gas at different pressures. It has been observed that the O2 background gas decreases the kinetic energy of the positively charged atomic plasma species. In addition, the interaction with the O2 background gas causes the generation of positive diatomic oxide species of LaO+, CaO+ and MnO+. The amount of negatively charged diatomic or tri-atomic oxide species decreases in the O2 background compared to vacuum, while the amount of O2- increases strongly.

  20. Where to place the positive muon in the Periodic Table?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goli, Mohammad; Shahbazian, Shant

    2015-03-14

    In a recent study it was suggested that the positively charged muon is capable of forming its own "atoms in molecules" (AIM) in the muonic hydrogen-like molecules, composed of two electrons, a muon and one of the hydrogen's isotopes, thus deserves to be placed in the Periodic Table [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 6602]. In the present report, the capacity of the positively charged muon in forming its own AIM is considered in a large set of molecules replacing muons with all protons in the hydrides of the second and third rows of the Periodic Table. Accordingly, in a comparative study the wavefunctions of both sets of hydrides and their muonic congeners are first derived beyond the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) paradigm, assuming protons and muons as quantum waves instead of clamped particles. Then, the non-BO wavefunctions are used to derive the AIM structures of both hydrides and muonic congeners within the context of the multi-component quantum theory of atoms in molecules. The results of the analysis demonstrate that muons are generally capable of forming their own atomic basins and the properties of these basins are not fundamentally different from those AIM containing protons. Particularly, the bonding modes in the muonic species seem to be qualitatively similar to their congener hydrides and no new bonding model is required to describe the bonding of muons to a diverse set of neighboring atoms. All in all, the positively charged muon is similar to a proton from the structural and bonding viewpoint and deserves to be placed in the same box of hydrogen in the Periodic Table. This conclusion is in line with a large body of studies on the chemical kinetics of the muonic molecules portraying the positively charged muon as a lighter isotope of hydrogen.

  1. Dosimeter charging and/or reading apparatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fine, L.T.; Jackson, T.P.

    1980-01-01

    A device is disclosed for charging and/or reading a capacitor associated with an electrometer incorporated in a radiation dosimeter for the purpose of initializing or ''zeroing'', the dosimeter at the commencement of a radiation measurement cycle or reading it at any time thereafter. The dosimeter electrometer has a movable electrode the position of which is indicative of the charge remaining on the dosimeter capacitor and in turn the amount of radiation incident on the dosimeter since it was zeroed. The charging device also includes means for discharging, immediately upon conclusion of the dosimeter capacitor charging operation, stray capacitance inherent in the dosimeter by reason of its mechanical construction. The charge on the stray capacitance, if not discharged at the conclusion of the dosimeter capacitor charging operation, leaks off during the measurement cycle, introducing measurement errors. A light source and suitable switch means are provided for automatically illuminating the movable electrode of the dosimeter electrometer as an incident to charging the dosimeter capacitor to facilitate reading the initial, or ''zero'', position of the movable electrometer electrode after the dosimeter capacitor has been charged and the stray capacitance discharged. Also included is a manually actuatable switch means, which is operable independently of the aforementioned automatic switch means, to energize the lamp and facilitate reading of the dosimeter without charging

  2. Fuel charging machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchikawa, Sadao.

    1978-01-01

    Purpose: To enable continuous fuel discharging and charging steps in a bwr type reactor by effecting positioning only for once by providing a plurality of fuel assembly grippers and their drives co-axially on a rotatable surface. Constitution: A plurality of fuel assembly grippers and their drives are provided co-axially on a rotatable surface. For example, a gripper A, a drive B, a gripper C and a drive D are arranged co-axially in symmetric positions on a disk rotated on rails by wheels and rotational drives. A new fuel in a fuel pool is gripped by the gripper A and transported above the reactor core. Then, the disk is positioned so that the gripper C can grip the spent fuel in the core, and the fuel to be discharged is gripped and raised by the gripper C. Then the disk is rotated by 180 0 and the new fuel in the gripper A is charged into the position from which the old fuel has been discharged and, finally, the discharged fuel is sent to the fuel pool for storage. (Seki, T.)

  3. A study of correlations between identified charged hadrons in hadronic Z0 decays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, K.; Abe, K.; Abe, T.

    1998-06-01

    The authors present a preliminary study of correlations in rapidity between pairs of identified pions, kaons and protons in hadronic Z 0 decays into light flavors. Short range charge correlations are observed between all combinations of these hadron species, confirming that charge, strangeness and baryon number are conserved locally in the jet fragmentation process. The range of this effect is found to be independent of momentum. A strong long-range correlation is observed for high-momentum charged kaon pairs, and weaker long-range π + -π - , π + -K - and p-K - correlations are observed. The SLC electron beam polarization is used to tag the quark hemisphere in each event, allowing the first study of rapidities signed such that positive rapidity is along the quark rather than antiquark direction. Distributions of signed rapidities and of ordered differences between signed rapidities provide new insights into leading particle production and several new tests of fragmentation models

  4. Residual dust charges in discharge afterglow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coueedel, L.; Mikikian, M.; Boufendi, L.; Samarian, A. A.

    2006-01-01

    An on-ground measurement of dust-particle residual charges in the afterglow of a dusty plasma was performed in a rf discharge. An upward thermophoretic force was used to balance the gravitational force. It was found that positively charged, negatively charged, and neutral dust particles coexisted for more than 1 min after the discharge was switched off. The mean residual charge for 200-nm-radius particles was measured. The dust particle mean charge is about -5e at a pressure of 1.2 mbar and about -3e at a pressure of 0.4 mbar

  5. Integrative Approach with Electrophysiological and Theoretical Methods Reveals a New Role of S4 Positively Charged Residues in PKD2L1 Channel Voltage-Sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Numata, Tomohiro; Tsumoto, Kunichika; Yamada, Kazunori; Kurokawa, Tatsuki; Hirose, Shinichi; Nomura, Hideki; Kawano, Mitsuhiro; Kurachi, Yoshihisa; Inoue, Ryuji; Mori, Yasuo

    2017-08-29

    Numerical model-based simulations provide important insights into ion channel gating when experimental limitations exist. Here, a novel strategy combining numerical simulations with patch clamp experiments was used to investigate the net positive charges in the putative transmembrane segment 4 (S4) of the atypical, positively-shifted voltage-dependence of polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 (PKD2L1) channel. Charge-neutralising mutations (K452Q, K455Q and K461Q) in S4 reduced gating charges, positively shifted the Boltzmann-type activation curve [i.e., open probability (P open )-V curve] and altered the time-courses of activation/deactivation of PKD2L1, indicating that this region constitutes part of a voltage sensor. Numerical reconstruction of wild-type (WT) and mutant PKD2L1-mediated currents necessitated, besides their voltage-dependent gating parameters, a scaling factor that describes the voltage-dependence of maximal conductance, G max . Subsequent single-channel conductance (γ) measurements revealed that voltage-dependence of G max in WT can be explained by the inward-rectifying property of γ, which is greatly changed in PKD2L1 mutants. Homology modelling based on PKD2 and Na V Ab structures suggest that such voltage dependence of P open and γ in PKD2L1 could both reflect the charged state of the S4 domain. The present conjunctive experimental and theoretical approaches provide a framework to explore the undetermined mechanism(s) regulating TRP channels that possess non-classical voltage-dependent properties.

  6. Super TOF secondary ion mass spectroscopy using very highly charged primary ions up to Th70+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briere, M.A.; Schenkel, T.; Schneider, D.

    1995-01-01

    The LLNL Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) has made low emittance beams of slow highly charged ions available for ion-solid interaction studies. Such interactions feature the dominance of electronic over collisional effects, and the shock waves generated by the ionized target atoms can desorb large numbers of large molecular species from the surface. This paper presents the first systematic study of the sputtering process due to the incidence of slow very highly charged ions; Th 70+ ions are extracted from EBIT at 7 keV * q and directed onto thin SiO 2 films on Si. Results suggest secondary ion yields of up to 25 per incident ion for Th 70+ (secondary ion yield is increased over that for singly or moderately charged ions). Correlations of the negative, positive, and negative cluster ion yields show promise for application of highly charged ion induced sputtering for enhanced sensitivity and quantitative (absolute) SIMS analysis of deep submicron scale surface layers and polymeric and biomolecular material analysis

  7. Measurement of Production Properties of Positively Charged Kaons in Proton-Carbon Interactions at 31 GeV/c

    CERN Document Server

    Abgrall, N.; Anticic, T.; Antoniou, N.; Argyriades, J.; Baatar, B.; Blondel, A.; Blumer, J.; Bogusz, M.; Boldizsar, L.; Bravar, A.; Brooks, W.; Brzychczyk, J.; Bubak, A.; Bunyatov, S.A.; Busygina, O.; Cetner, T.; Choi, K.U.; Christakoglou, P.; Czopowicz, T.; Davis, N.; Diakonos, F.; Di Luise, S.; Dominik, W.; Dumarchez, J.; Engel, R.; Ereditato, A.; Esposito, L.S.; Feofilov, G.A.; Fodor, Z.; Ferrero, A.; Fulop, A.; Garrido, X.; Gazdzicki, M.; Golubeva, M.; Grebieszkow, K.; Grzeszczuk, A.; Guber, F.; Haesler, A.; Hakobyan, H.; Hasegawa, T.; Idczak, R.; Ivanov, Y.; Ivashkin, A.; Kadija, K.; Kapoyannis, A.; Katrynska, N.; Kielczewska, D.; Kikola, D.; Kim, J.H.; Kirejczyk, M.; Kisiel, J.; Kobayashi, T.; Kochebina, O.; Kolesnikov, V.I.; Kolev, D.; Kondratiev, V.P.; Korzenev, A.; Kowalski, S.; Krasnoperov, A.; Kuleshov, S.; Kurepin, A.; Lacey, R.; Lagoda, J.; Laszlo, A.; Lyubushkin, V.V.; Mackowiak-Pawlowska, M.; Majka, Z.; Malakhov, A.I.; Marchionni, A.; Marcinek, A.; Maris, I.; Marin, V.; Matulewicz, T.; Matveev, V.; Melkumov, G.L.; Meregaglia, A.; Messina, M.; Mrowczynski, St.; Murphy, S.; Nakadaira, T.; Nishikawa, K.; Palczewski, T.; Palla, G.; Panagiotou, A.D.; Paul, T.; Peryt, W.; Petukhov, O.; Planeta, R.; Pluta, J.; Popov, B.A.; Posiadala, M.; Pulawski, S.; Rauch, W.; Ravonel, M.; Renfordt, R.; Robert, A.; Rohrich, D.; Rondio, E.; Rossi, B.; Roth, M.; Rubbia, A.; Rybczynski, M.; Sadovsky, A.; Sakashita, K.; Sekiguchi, T.; Seyboth, P.; Shibata, M.; Skrzypczak, E.; Slodkowski, M.; Staszel, P.; Stefanek, G.; Stepaniak, J.; Strabel, C.; Strobele, H.; Susa, T.; Szaflik, P.; Szuba, M.; Tada, M.; Taranenko, A.; Tereshchenko, V.; Tsenov, R.; Turko, L.; Ulrich, R.; Unger, M.; Vassiliou, M.; Veberic, D.; Vechernin, V.V.; Vesztergombi, G.; Wilczek, A.; Wlodarczyk, Z.; Wojtaszek-Szwarc, A.; Yi, J.G.; Yoo, I.K.; Zambelli, L.; Zipper, W.

    2012-01-01

    Spectra of positively charged kaons in p+C interactions at 31 GeV/c were measured with the NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS. The analysis is based on the full set of data collected in 2007 with a graphite target with a thickness of 4% of a nuclear interaction length. Interaction cross sections and charged pion spectra were already measured using the same set of data. These new measurements in combination with the published ones are required to improve predictions of the neutrino flux for the T2K long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment in Japan. In particular, the knowledge of kaon production is crucial for precisely predicting the intrinsic electron neutrino component and the high energy tail of the T2K beam. The results are presented as a function of laboratory momentum in 2 intervals of the laboratory polar angle covering the range from 20 up to 240 mrad. The kaon spectra are compared with predictions of several hadron production models. Using the published...

  8. Organic n-type materials for charge transport and charge storage applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolar, Monika; Baumgartner, Thomas

    2013-06-21

    Conjugated materials have attracted much attention toward applications in organic electronics in recent years. These organic species offer many advantages as potential replacement for conventional materials (i.e., silicon and metals) in terms of cheap fabrication and environmentally benign devices. While p-type (electron-donating or hole-conducting) materials have been extensively reviewed and researched, their counterpart n-type (electron-accepting or electron-conducting) materials have seen much less popularity despite the greater need for improvement. In addition to developing efficient charge transport materials, it is equally important to provide a means of charge storage, where energy can be used on an on-demand basis. This perspective is focused on discussing a selection of representative n-type materials and the efforts toward improving their charge-transport efficiencies. Additionally, this perspective will also highlight recent organic materials for battery components and the efforts that have been made to improve their environmental appeal.

  9. Charged Triazole Cross-Linkers for Hyaluronan-Based Hybrid Hydrogels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maike Martini

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Polyelectrolyte hydrogels play an important role in tissue engineering and can be produced from natural polymers, such as the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan. In order to control charge density and mechanical properties of hyaluronan-based hydrogels, we developed cross-linkers with a neutral or positively charged triazole core with different lengths of spacer arms and two terminal maleimide groups. These cross-linkers react with thiolated hyaluronan in a fast, stoichiometric thio-Michael addition. Introducing a positive charge on the core of the cross-linker enabled us to compare hydrogels with the same interconnectivity, but a different charge density. Positively charged cross-linkers form stiffer hydrogels relatively independent of the size of the cross-linker, whereas neutral cross-linkers only form stable hydrogels at small spacer lengths. These novel cross-linkers provide a platform to tune the hydrogel network charge and thus the mechanical properties of the network. In addition, they might offer a wide range of applications especially in bioprinting for precise design of hydrogels.

  10. Role of molecular charge in nucleocytoplasmic transport.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Goryaynov

    Full Text Available Transport of genetic materials and proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells is mediated by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs. A selective barrier formed by phenylalanine-glycine (FG nucleoporins (Nups with net positive charges in the NPC allows for passive diffusion of signal-independent small molecules and transport-receptor facilitated translocation of signal-dependent cargo molecules. Recently, negative surface charge was postulated to be another essential criterion for selective passage through the NPC. However, the charge-driven mechanism in determining the transport kinetics and spatial transport route for either passive diffusion or facilitated translocation remains obscure. Here we employed high-speed single-molecule fluorescence microscopy with an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution of 9 nm and 400 µs to uncover these mechanistic fundamentals for nuclear transport of charged substrates through native NPCs. We found that electrostatic interaction between negative surface charges on transiting molecules and the positively charged FG Nups, although enhancing their probability of binding to the NPC, never plays a dominant role in determining their nuclear transport mode or spatial transport route. A 3D reconstruction of transport routes revealed that small signal-dependent endogenous cargo protein constructs with high positive surface charges that are destined to the nucleus, rather than repelled from the NPC as suggested in previous models, passively diffused through an axial central channel of the NPC in the absence of transport receptors. Finally, we postulated a comprehensive map of interactions between transiting molecules and FG Nups during nucleocytoplasmic transport by combining the effects of molecular size, signal and surface charge.

  11. Performance of a position sensitive Si(Li) x-ray detector dedicated to Compton polarimetry of stored and trapped highly-charged ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, G; Braeuning, H; Hess, S; Maertin, R; Spillmann, U; Stoehlker, Th

    2010-01-01

    We report on a novel two-dimensional position sensitive Si(Li) detector dedicated to Compton polarimetry of x-ray radiation arising from highly-charged ions. The performance of the detector system was evaluated in ion-atom collision experiments at the ESR storage ringe at GSI, Darmstadt. Based on the data obtained, the polarimeter efficiency is estimated in this work.

  12. What Protein Charging (and Supercharging) Reveal about the Mechanism of Electrospray Ionization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogorzalek Loo, Rachel R.; Lakshmanan, Rajeswari; Loo, Joseph A.

    2014-10-01

    Understanding the charging mechanism of electrospray ionization is central to overcoming shortcomings such as ion suppression or limited dynamic range, and explaining phenomena such as supercharging. Towards that end, we explore what accumulated observations reveal about the mechanism of electrospray. We introduce the idea of an intermediate region for electrospray ionization (and other ionization methods) to account for the facts that solution charge state distributions (CSDs) do not correlate with those observed by ESI-MS (the latter bear more charge) and that gas phase reactions can reduce, but not increase, the extent of charging. This region incorporates properties (e.g., basicities) intermediate between solution and gas phase. Assuming that droplet species polarize within the high electric field leads to equations describing ion emission resembling those from the equilibrium partitioning model. The equations predict many trends successfully, including CSD shifts to higher m/z for concentrated analytes and shifts to lower m/z for sprays employing smaller emitter opening diameters. From this view, a single mechanism can be formulated to explain how reagents that promote analyte charging ("supercharging") such as m-NBA, sulfolane, and 3-nitrobenzonitrile increase analyte charge from "denaturing" and "native" solvent systems. It is suggested that additives' Brønsted basicities are inversely correlated to their ability to shift CSDs to lower m/z in positive ESI, as are Brønsted acidities for negative ESI. Because supercharging agents reduce an analyte's solution ionization, excess spray charge is bestowed on evaporating ions carrying fewer opposing charges. Brønsted basicity (or acidity) determines how much ESI charge is lost to the agent (unavailable to evaporating analyte).

  13. Bud structure, position and fate generate various branching patterns along shoots of closely related Rosaceae species: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelyne eCostes

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Branching in temperate plants is closely linked to bud fates, either floral or vegetative. Here, we review how the fate of meristematic tissues contained in buds and their position along a shoot imprint specific branching patterns which differ among species. Through examples chosen in closely related species in different genera of the Rosaceae family, a panorama of patterns is apparent. Patterns depend on whether vegetative and floral buds are borne individually or together in mixed buds, develop as the shoot grows or after a rest period, and are located in axillary or terminal positions along the parent shoot. The resulting branching patterns are conserved among varieties in a given species but progressively change with the parent shoot length during plant ontogeny. They can also be modulated by agronomic and environmental conditions. The existence of various organizations in the topology and fate of meristematic tissues and their appendages in closely related species questions the between-species conservation of physiological and molecular mechanisms leading to bud outgrowth vs quiescence and to floral induction vs vegetative development.

  14. Bud structure, position and fate generate various branching patterns along shoots of closely related Rosaceae species: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costes, Evelyne; Crespel, Laurent; Denoyes, Béatrice; Morel, Philippe; Demene, Marie-Noëlle; Lauri, Pierre-Eric; Wenden, Bénédicte

    2014-01-01

    Branching in temperate plants is closely linked to bud fates, either floral or vegetative. Here, we review how the fate of meristematic tissues contained in buds and their position along a shoot imprint specific branching patterns which differ among species. Through examples chosen in closely related species in different genera of the Rosaceae family, a panorama of patterns is apparent. Patterns depend on whether vegetative and floral buds are borne individually or together in mixed buds, develop as the shoot grows or after a rest period, and are located in axillary or terminal positions along the parent shoot. The resulting branching patterns are conserved among varieties in a given species but progressively change with the parent shoot length during plant ontogeny. They can also be modulated by agronomic and environmental conditions. The existence of various organizations in the topology and fate of meristematic tissues and their appendages in closely related species questions the between-species conservation of physiological and molecular mechanisms leading to bud outgrowth vs. quiescence and to floral induction vs. vegetative development.

  15. Impact of Vertical Canopy Position on Leaf Spectral Properties and Traits across Multiple Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tawanda W. Gara

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the vertical pattern of leaf traits across plant canopies provide critical information on plant physiology, ecosystem functioning and structure and vegetation response to climate change. However, the impact of vertical canopy position on leaf spectral properties and subsequently leaf traits across the entire spectrum for multiple species is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the ability of leaf optical properties to track variability in leaf traits across the vertical canopy profile using Partial Least Square Discriminatory Analysis (PLS-DA. Leaf spectral measurements together with leaf traits (nitrogen, carbon, chlorophyll, equivalent water thickness and specific leaf area were studied at three vertical canopy positions along the plant stem: lower, middle and upper. We observed that foliar nitrogen (N, chlorophyll (Cab, carbon (C, and equivalent water thickness (EWT were higher in the upper canopy leaves compared with lower shaded leaves, while specific leaf area (SLA increased from upper to lower canopy leaves. We found that leaf spectral reflectance significantly (P ≤ 0.05 shifted to longer wavelengths in the ‘red edge’ spectrum (685–701 nm in the order of lower > middle > upper for the pooled dataset. We report that spectral bands that are influential in the discrimination of leaf samples into the three groups of canopy position, based on the PLS-DA variable importance projection (VIP score, match with wavelength regions of foliar traits observed to vary across the canopy vertical profile. This observation demonstrated that both leaf traits and leaf reflectance co-vary across the vertical canopy profile in multiple species. We conclude that canopy vertical position has a significant impact on leaf spectral properties of an individual plant’s traits, and this finding holds for multiple species. These findings have important implications on field sampling protocols, upscaling leaf traits to canopy level

  16. Existence and global attractivity of positive periodic solutions of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition systems with several deviating arguments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, M; Wang, K; Jiang, D

    1999-08-01

    In this paper, we study the existence and global attractivity of positive periodic solutions of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition systems. By using the method of coincidence degree and Lyapunov functional, a set of easily verifiable sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of at least one strictly positive (componentwise) periodic solution of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition systems with several deviating arguments and the existence of a unique globally asymptotically stable periodic solution with strictly positive components of periodic n-species Lotka-Volterra competition system with several delays. Some new results are obtained. As an application, we also examine some special cases of the system we considered, which have been studied extensively in the literature. Some known results are improved and generalized.

  17. A study of correlations between identified charged hadrons in hadronic Z{sup 0} decays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abe, K. [Aomori Univ. (Japan); Abe, K. [Nagoya Univ. (Japan); Abe, T. [Stanford Univ., CA (US). Stanford Linear Accelerator Center] [and others; SLD Collaboration

    1998-06-01

    The authors present a preliminary study of correlations in rapidity between pairs of identified pions, kaons and protons in hadronic Z{sup 0} decays into light flavors. Short range charge correlations are observed between all combinations of these hadron species, confirming that charge, strangeness and baryon number are conserved locally in the jet fragmentation process. The range of this effect is found to be independent of momentum. A strong long-range correlation is observed for high-momentum charged kaon pairs, and weaker long-range {pi}{sup +}-{pi}{sup -}, {pi}{sup +}-K{sup -} and p-K{sup -} correlations are observed. The SLC electron beam polarization is used to tag the quark hemisphere in each event, allowing the first study of rapidities signed such that positive rapidity is along the quark rather than antiquark direction. Distributions of signed rapidities and of ordered differences between signed rapidities provide new insights into leading particle production and several new tests of fragmentation models.

  18. Charging of dust grains in a plasma with negative ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Su-Hyun; Merlino, Robert L.

    2006-05-01

    The effect of negative ions on the charging of dust particles in a plasma is investigated experimentally. A plasma containing a very low percentage of electrons is formed in a single-ended SF6 is admitted into the vacuum system. The relatively cold (Te≈0.2eV ) readily attach to SF6 molecules to form SF6- negative ions. Calculations of the dust charge indicate that for electrons, negative ions, and positive ions of comparable temperatures, the charge (or surface potential) of the dust can be positive if the positive ion mass is smaller than the negative ion mass and if ɛ, the ratio of the electron to positive ion density, is sufficiently small. The K+ positive ions (mass 39amu) and SF6- negative ions (mass 146amu), and also utilizes a rotating cylinder to dispense dust into the plasma column. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of a Langmuir probe in the dusty plasma shows evidence for the reduction in the (magnitude) of the negative dust charge and the transition to positively charged dust as the relative concentration of the residual electrons is reduced. Some remarks are offered concerning experiments that could become possible in a dusty plasma with positive grains.

  19. Effect of positively charged short peptides on stability of cubic phases of monoolein/dioleoylphosphatidic acid mixtures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masum, Shah Md; Li, Shu Jie; Awad, Tarek S; Yamazaki, Masahito

    2005-06-07

    To elucidate the stability and phase transition of cubic phases of biomembranes with infinite periodic minimal surface is indispensable from biological and physicochemical aspects. In this report, we investigated the effect of positively charged peptide-3K (LLKKK) and poly(L-lysine) on the phase stability of monoolein (MO) membranes containing negatively charged dioleoylphosphatidic acid (DOPA) (i.e., DOPA/MO membranes) using small-angle X-ray scattering. At first, the effect of peptide-3K on 10% DOPA/90% MO membrane in excess water, which is in the Q229 phase, was investigated. At 3.4 mM peptide-3K, a Q229 to Q230 phase transition occurred, and at >3.4 mM peptide-3K, the membrane was in the Q230 phase. Poly(L-lysine) (M(w) 1K-4K) also induced the Q230 phase, but peptide-2K (LLKK) could not induce it in the same membrane. We also investigated the effect of peptide-3K on the multilamellar vesicle (MLV) of 25% DOPA/75% MO membrane, which is in L(alpha) phase. In the absence of peptide, the spacing of MLV was very large (11.3 nm), but at > or = 8 mM peptide-3K, it greatly decreased to a constant value (5.2 nm), irrespective of the peptide concentration, indicating that peptide-3K and the membranes form an electrostatically stabilized aggregation with low water content. Poly(L-lysine) also decreased greatly the spacing of the 25% DOPA/75% MO MLV, indicating the formation of a similar aggregation. To compare the effects of peptide-3K and poly(L-lysine) with that of osmotic stress on stability of the cubic phase, we investigated the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) with molecular weight 7500 (PEG-6K) on the phase stability of 10% DOPA/90% MO membrane. With an increase in PEG-6K concentration, i.e., with an increase in osmotic stress, the most stable phase changed as follows; Q229 (Schwartz's P surface) --> Q224 (D) --> Q230 (G). On the basis of these results, we discuss the mechanism of the effects of the positively charged short peptides (peptide-3K) and poly

  20. Electrostatic plasma lens for focusing negatively charged particle beams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goncharov, A A; Dobrovolskiy, A M; Dunets, S M; Litovko, I V; Gushenets, V I; Oks, E M

    2012-02-01

    We describe the current status of ongoing research and development of the electrostatic plasma lens for focusing and manipulating intense negatively charged particle beams, electrons, and negative ions. The physical principle of this kind of plasma lens is based on magnetic isolation electrons providing creation of a dynamical positive space charge cloud in shortly restricted volume propagating beam. Here, the new results of experimental investigations and computer simulations of wide-aperture, intense electron beam focusing by plasma lens with positive space charge cloud produced due to the cylindrical anode layer accelerator creating a positive ion stream towards an axis system is presented.

  1. Position-dependent Effects of Polylysine on Sec Protein Transport*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Fu-Cheng; Bageshwar, Umesh K.; Musser, Siegfried M.

    2012-01-01

    The bacterial Sec protein translocation system catalyzes the transport of unfolded precursor proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane. Using a recently developed real time fluorescence-based transport assay, the effects of the number and distribution of positive charges on the transport time and transport efficiency of proOmpA were examined. As expected, an increase in the number of lysine residues generally increased transport time and decreased transport efficiency. However, the observed effects were highly dependent on the polylysine position in the mature domain. In addition, a string of consecutive positive charges generally had a more significant effect on transport time and efficiency than separating the charges into two or more charged segments. Thirty positive charges distributed throughout the mature domain resulted in effects similar to 10 consecutive charges near the N terminus of the mature domain. These data support a model in which the local effects of positive charge on the translocation kinetics dominate over total thermodynamic constraints. The rapid translocation kinetics of some highly charged proOmpA mutants suggest that the charge is partially shielded from the electric field gradient during transport, possibly by the co-migration of counter ions. The transport times of precursors with multiple positively charged sequences, or “pause sites,” were fairly well predicted by a local effect model. However, the kinetic profile predicted by this local effect model was not observed. Instead, the transport kinetics observed for precursors with multiple polylysine segments support a model in which translocation through the SecYEG pore is not the rate-limiting step of transport. PMID:22367204

  2. Position-dependent effects of polylysine on Sec protein transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Fu-Cheng; Bageshwar, Umesh K; Musser, Siegfried M

    2012-04-13

    The bacterial Sec protein translocation system catalyzes the transport of unfolded precursor proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane. Using a recently developed real time fluorescence-based transport assay, the effects of the number and distribution of positive charges on the transport time and transport efficiency of proOmpA were examined. As expected, an increase in the number of lysine residues generally increased transport time and decreased transport efficiency. However, the observed effects were highly dependent on the polylysine position in the mature domain. In addition, a string of consecutive positive charges generally had a more significant effect on transport time and efficiency than separating the charges into two or more charged segments. Thirty positive charges distributed throughout the mature domain resulted in effects similar to 10 consecutive charges near the N terminus of the mature domain. These data support a model in which the local effects of positive charge on the translocation kinetics dominate over total thermodynamic constraints. The rapid translocation kinetics of some highly charged proOmpA mutants suggest that the charge is partially shielded from the electric field gradient during transport, possibly by the co-migration of counter ions. The transport times of precursors with multiple positively charged sequences, or "pause sites," were fairly well predicted by a local effect model. However, the kinetic profile predicted by this local effect model was not observed. Instead, the transport kinetics observed for precursors with multiple polylysine segments support a model in which translocation through the SecYEG pore is not the rate-limiting step of transport.

  3. Two new hyaline-ascospored species of Trichoderma and their phylogenetic positions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, W T; Zhuang, W Y

    2016-01-01

    Collections of hypocrealean fungi found on decaying wood in subtropical regions of China were examined. Two new species, Trichoderma confluens and T. hubeiense, were discovered and are described. Trichoderma confluens is characterized by its widely effuse to rarely pulvinate, yellow stromata with densely disposed yellowish brown ostioles, simple acremonium- to verticillium-like conidiophores, hyaline conidia and multiform chlamydospores. Trichoderma hubeiense has pulvinate, grayish yellow stromata with brownish ostioles, trichoderma- to verticillium-like conidiophores and hyaline conidia. The phylogenetic positions of the two fungi were investigated based on sequence analyses of RNA polymerase II subunit b and translation elongation factor 1-α genes. The results indicate that T. confluens belongs to the Hypocreanum clade and is associated with but clearly separated from T. applanatum and T. decipiens. Trichoderma hubeiense belongs to the Polysporum clade and related to T. bavaricum but obviously differs from other members of the clade in sequence data. Morphological distinctions between the new species and their close relatives are noted and discussed. © 2016 by The Mycological Society of America.

  4. Charge transport problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, E.P.

    1977-01-01

    In a recent report (UCID 17346, ''Relativistic Particle Beam in a Semi-Infinite Axially Symmetric conducting channel extending from a perfectly conducting plane,'' Dec. 13, 1976) Cooper and Neil demonstrate that the net charge transported by a beam pulse injected into a channel of finite conductivity equals the charge of the beam itself. The channel is taken to be infinite in the positive z direction, has finite radius and is terminated by a conducting ground plane at z =0. This result is not an obvious one, and it is restricted in its applicability by the special model assumed for the channel. It is the purpose to explain the result of Cooper and Neil in more qualitative terms and to make similar calculations using several other channel models. It must be emphasized that these calculations are not concerned with the fate of the transported charge after the pulse has stopped, but rather with how much charge leaves the ground plane assuming the pulse does not stop

  5. Positively Charged Nanostructured Lipid Carriers and Their Effect on the Dissolution of Poorly Soluble Drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyeong-Ok Choi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study is to develop suitable formulations to improve the dissolution rate of poorly water soluble drugs. We selected lipid-based formulation as a drug carrier and modified the surface using positively charged chitosan derivative (HTCC to increase its water solubility and bioavailability. Chitosan and HTCC-coated lipid particles had higher zeta-potential values than uncoated one over the whole pH ranges and improved encapsulation efficiency. In vitro drug release showed that all NLC formulations showed higher in vitro release efficiency than drug particle at pH 7.4. Furthermore, NLC formulation prepared with chitosan or HTCC represented good sustained release property. The results indicate that chitosan and HTCC can be excellent formulating excipients of lipid-based delivery carrier for improving poorly water soluble drug delivery.

  6. Positively Charged Nanostructured Lipid Carriers and Their Effect on the Dissolution of Poorly Soluble Drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Kyeong-Ok; Choe, Jaehyeog; Suh, Seokjin; Ko, Sanghoon

    2016-05-20

    The objective of this study is to develop suitable formulations to improve the dissolution rate of poorly water soluble drugs. We selected lipid-based formulation as a drug carrier and modified the surface using positively charged chitosan derivative (HTCC) to increase its water solubility and bioavailability. Chitosan and HTCC-coated lipid particles had higher zeta-potential values than uncoated one over the whole pH ranges and improved encapsulation efficiency. In vitro drug release showed that all NLC formulations showed higher in vitro release efficiency than drug particle at pH 7.4. Furthermore, NLC formulation prepared with chitosan or HTCC represented good sustained release property. The results indicate that chitosan and HTCC can be excellent formulating excipients of lipid-based delivery carrier for improving poorly water soluble drug delivery.

  7. Charge state distributions from highly charged ions channeled at a metal surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Folkerts, L.; Meyer, F.W.; Schippers, S.

    1994-01-01

    The vast majority of the experimental work in the field of multicharged ion-surface interactions, to date, has focused on x-ray and particularly on electron emission. These experiments include measurements of the total electron yield, the emission statistics of the electrons, and, most of all, the electron energy distributions. So far, little attention has been paid to the fate of the multicharged projectile ions after the scattering. To our knowledge, the only measurement of the charge state distribution of the scattered ions is the pioneering experiment of de Zwart et al., who measured the total yield of scattered 1+, 2+, and 3+ ions as a function of the primary charge state q (q = 1--11) for 20 key Ne, Ar, and Kr ions after reflection from a polycrystalline tungsten target. Their main finding is the sudden onset of scattered 3+ ions when inner-shell vacancies are present in the primary particles. This suggests that a certain fraction of the inner-shell vacancies survives the entire collision event, and decays via autoionization on the outgoing path. Since the projectiles scattered in the neutral charge state could not be detected in the experiment of de Zwart et al., they were not able to provide absolute charge state fractions. In our present experiment, we focus on the scattered projectiles, measuring both the final charge state and the total scattering angle with a single 2D position sensitive detector (PSD). This method gives us the number of positive, as well as neutral and negative, scattered ions, thus allowing us to extract absolute charge state fractions. Using a well-prepared single Au(110) crystal and a grazing incidence geometry, we were able to observe surface channeling along the [001] channels

  8. Cooperative Charging Effects of Fibers From Electrospinning of Electrically Dissimilar Polymers

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Schreuder-Gibson, H. L; Gibson, P; Tsai, P; Gupta, P; Wilkes, G

    2005-01-01

    .... During electrospinning of the PS and PAN polymer solutions, the fibers became positively charged when positive voltage was applied to the solution-filled spinning nozzle and became negatively charged...

  9. Ion-acoustic double layers in multi-species plasmas maintained by negative ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verheest, F.

    1989-01-01

    A study is made of ion-acoustic double layers in a plasma consisting of any number of cold positive and negative ion (and cold electron) species in addition to one isothermal electron population. The Sagdeev potential is obtained in general, together with limits on both compressive and rarefactive solutions for ion-acoustic double layers and/or solitons. Weak ion-acoustic double layers are described by a modified Korteweg-de Vries equation. Such double layers are not possible in plasmas with only positive ion species and one electron population. When one or more negative ion and/or cold electron species are included above a certain threshold density, rarefactive ion-acoustic double layers occur, but no compressive ones. The double-layer form of the potential is given, together with an application to a plasma with one positive and one negative ion component. It is shown that there is indeed such a threshold density for the negative ion density, depending on the charge-to-mass ratios of both types of ions. The threshold density is determined numerically for a range of such ratios and discussed in view of possible relevance to auroral and experimental plasmas. In the discussion, cold electrons can play the role of the negative ion species. (author)

  10. Charging of dust grains in a plasma with negative ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Su-Hyun; Merlino, Robert L.

    2006-01-01

    The effect of negative ions on the charging of dust particles in a plasma is investigated experimentally. A plasma containing a very low percentage of electrons is formed in a single-ended Q machine when SF 6 is admitted into the vacuum system. The relatively cold Q machine electrons (T e ≅0.2 eV) readily attach to SF 6 molecules to form SF 6 - negative ions. Calculations of the dust charge indicate that for electrons, negative ions, and positive ions of comparable temperatures, the charge (or surface potential) of the dust can be positive if the positive ion mass is smaller than the negative ion mass and if ε, the ratio of the electron to positive ion density, is sufficiently small. The Q machine plasma is operated with K + positive ions (mass 39 amu) and SF 6 - negative ions (mass 146 amu), and also utilizes a rotating cylinder to dispense dust into the plasma column. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of a Langmuir probe in the dusty plasma shows evidence for the reduction in the (magnitude) of the negative dust charge and the transition to positively charged dust as the relative concentration of the residual electrons is reduced. Some remarks are offered concerning experiments that could become possible in a dusty plasma with positive grains

  11. Attraction of likely charged nano-sized grains in dust-electron plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vishnyakov, Vladimir I., E-mail: eksvar@ukr.net [Physical-Chemical Institute for Environmental and Human Protection, Odessa 65082 (Ukraine)

    2016-01-15

    Dust-electron plasma, which contains only the dust grains and electrons, emitted by them, is studied. Assumption of almost uniform spatial electrons distribution, which deviates from the uniformity only near the dust grains, leads to the grain charge division into two parts: first part is the individual for each grain “visible” charge and the second part is the common charge of the neutralized background. The visible grain charge can be both negative and positive, while the total grain charge is only positive. The attraction of likely charged grains is possible, because the grain interaction is determined by the visible charges. The equilibrium state between attraction and repulsion of grains is demonstrated.

  12. Surface charge effects in protein adsorption on nanodiamonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aramesh, M; Shimoni, O; Ostrikov, K; Prawer, S; Cervenka, J

    2015-03-19

    Understanding the interaction of proteins with charged diamond nanoparticles is of fundamental importance for diverse biomedical applications. Here we present a thorough study of protein binding, adsorption kinetics and structure on strongly positively (hydrogen-terminated) and negatively (oxygen-terminated) charged nanodiamond particles using a quartz crystal microbalance by dissipation and infrared spectroscopy. By using two model proteins (bovine serum albumin and lysozyme) of different properties (charge, molecular weight and rigidity), the main driving mechanism responsible for the protein binding to the charged nanoparticles was identified. Electrostatic interactions were found to dominate the protein adsorption dynamics, attachment and conformation. We developed a simple electrostatic model that can qualitatively explain the observed adsorption behaviour based on charge-induced pH modifications near the charged nanoparticle surfaces. Under neutral conditions, the local pH around the positively and negatively charged nanodiamonds becomes very high (11-12) and low (1-3) respectively, which has a profound impact on the protein charge, hydration and affinity to the nanodiamonds. Small proteins (lysozyme) were found to form multilayers with significant conformational changes to screen the surface charge, while larger proteins (albumin) formed monolayers with minor conformational changes. The findings of this study provide a step forward toward understanding and eventually predicting nanoparticle interactions with biofluids.

  13. Ejecta from single-charge cratering explosions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carlson, R H

    1970-05-15

    The objective was to obtain experimental data tracing the location of ejecta to its origin within the crater region. The experiment included ten high-explosive spherical charges weighing from 8 to 1000 pounds and detonated in a playa dry lake soil on the Tonopah Test Range. Each event included from 24 to 40 locations of distinctly different tracer material embedded in a plane in the expected crater region. Tracers consisted of glass, ceramic and bugle beads, chopped metal, and plastic wire. Results of this experiment yielded data on tracer dispersion as a function of charge weight, charge burial depth and tracer emplacement position. Tracer pattern parameters such as center-of-tracer mass, range to center-of-tracer mass, and angle to center-of-tracer mass were determined. There is a clear tendency for range (to center-of-tracer mass) and the size of the dispersion pattern to decrease as tracer emplacement depth increases. Increasing tracer emplacement depth and range tends to decrease the area over which tracers are dispersed on the ground surface. Tracers at the same scaled position relative to the charge were deposited closer to the crater (on a scaled basis) as charge weight was increased. (author)

  14. Physical and chemical events that follow the passage of a charged particle in liquid water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wright, H.A.; Hamm, R.N.; Turner, J.E.; Magee, J.L.; Chatterjee, A.

    1985-01-01

    Biological effects of radiation are the result of a complicated sequence of events that begins with initial physical interactions that are complete by approx. 10 -15 s, followed by chemical interactions that begin at approx. 10 -11 s and are complete by approx. 10 -6 s, and followed by later biochemical and biological events, some of which may not occur for years. A central problem in radiation physics and radiation chemistry is to understand the details of the physical and chemical events that occur during that first microsecond following the passage of a charged particle. Significant progress has been made recently at linking early physical events with later chemical events. We have developed a Monte Carlo computer code to calculate the position and identity of each physical event that a charged particle (electron, proton, alpha) and all of its secondaries undergoes in traversing liquid water. The code then calculates the position and identity of each reactive chemical species (ion or radical) that is produced from these physical events and is present at 10 -11 s, and then follows each reactant through the diffusion and chemical reaction stage of track development. This work will be discussed and examples of ''pictures'' of charged-particle tracks at various times will be shown. 11 refs., 9 figs

  15. Think positive : phase separation enables a positively charged additive to induce dramatic changes in calcium carbonate morphology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cantaert, B.; Kim, Y.; Ludwig, H.; Nudelman, F.; Sommerdijk, N.A.J.M.; Meldrum, F.C.

    2012-01-01

    Soluble macromolecules are essential to Nature's control over biomineral formation. Following early studies where macromolecules rich in aspartic and glutamic acid were extracted from nacre, research has focused on the use of negatively charged additives to control calcium carbonate precipitation.

  16. Surface charge effects in protein adsorption on nanodiamonds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aramesh, M.; Shimoni, O.; Ostrikov, K.; Prawer, S.; Cervenka, J.

    2015-03-01

    Understanding the interaction of proteins with charged diamond nanoparticles is of fundamental importance for diverse biomedical applications. Here we present a thorough study of protein binding, adsorption kinetics and structure on strongly positively (hydrogen-terminated) and negatively (oxygen-terminated) charged nanodiamond particles using a quartz crystal microbalance by dissipation and infrared spectroscopy. By using two model proteins (bovine serum albumin and lysozyme) of different properties (charge, molecular weight and rigidity), the main driving mechanism responsible for the protein binding to the charged nanoparticles was identified. Electrostatic interactions were found to dominate the protein adsorption dynamics, attachment and conformation. We developed a simple electrostatic model that can qualitatively explain the observed adsorption behaviour based on charge-induced pH modifications near the charged nanoparticle surfaces. Under neutral conditions, the local pH around the positively and negatively charged nanodiamonds becomes very high (11-12) and low (1-3) respectively, which has a profound impact on the protein charge, hydration and affinity to the nanodiamonds. Small proteins (lysozyme) were found to form multilayers with significant conformational changes to screen the surface charge, while larger proteins (albumin) formed monolayers with minor conformational changes. The findings of this study provide a step forward toward understanding and eventually predicting nanoparticle interactions with biofluids.Understanding the interaction of proteins with charged diamond nanoparticles is of fundamental importance for diverse biomedical applications. Here we present a thorough study of protein binding, adsorption kinetics and structure on strongly positively (hydrogen-terminated) and negatively (oxygen-terminated) charged nanodiamond particles using a quartz crystal microbalance by dissipation and infrared spectroscopy. By using two model proteins

  17. First charge collection and position-precision data on the medium-resistivity silicon strip detectors before and after neutron irradiation up to 2x1014 n/cm2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Zheng; Dezillie, B.; Eremin, V.; Li, C.J.; Verbitskaya, E.

    1999-01-01

    Test strip detectors of 125 μm, 500 μm, and 1 mm pitches with about 1 cm 2 areas have been made on medium-resistivity silicon wafers (1.3 and 2.7 kΩ cm). Detectors of 500 μm pitch have been tested for charge collection and position precision before and after neutron irradiation (up to 2x10 14 n/cm 2 ) using 820 and 1030 nm laser lights with different beam-spot sizes. It has been found that for a bias of 250 V a strip detector made of 1.3 kΩ cm (300 μm thick) can be fully depleted before and after an irradiation of 2x10 14 n/cm 2 . For a 500 μm pitch strip detector made of 2.7 kΩ cm tested with an 1030 nm laser light with 200 μm spot size, the position reconstruction error is about 14 μm before irradiation, and 17 μm after about 1.7x10 13 n/cm 2 irradiation. We demonstrated in this work that medium resistivity silicon strip detectors can work just as well as the traditional high-resistivity ones, but with higher radiation tolerance. We also tested charge sharing and position reconstruction using a 1030 nm wavelength (300 μm absorption length in Si at RT) laser, which provides a simulation of MIP particles in high-physics experiments in terms of charge collection and position reconstruction

  18. Collisional charging of individual submillimeter particles: Using ultrasonic levitation to initiate and track charge transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Victor; James, Nicole M.; Waitukaitis, Scott R.; Jaeger, Heinrich M.

    2018-03-01

    Electrostatic charging of insulating fine particles can be responsible for numerous phenomena ranging from lightning in volcanic plumes to dust explosions. However, even basic aspects of how fine particles become charged are still unclear. Studying particle charging is challenging because it usually involves the complexities associated with many-particle collisions. To address these issues, we introduce a method based on acoustic levitation, which makes it possible to initiate sequences of repeated collisions of a single submillimeter particle with a flat plate, and to precisely measure the particle charge in situ after each collision. We show that collisional charge transfer between insulators is dependent on the hydrophobicity of the contacting surfaces. We use glass, which we modify by attaching nonpolar molecules to the particle, the plate, or both. We find that hydrophilic surfaces develop significant positive charges after contacting hydrophobic surfaces. Moreover, we demonstrate that charging between a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic surface is suppressed in an acidic environment and enhanced in a basic one. Application of an electric field during each collision is found to modify the charge transfer, again depending on surface hydrophobicity. We discuss these results within the context of contact charging due to ion transfer, and we show that they lend strong support to O H- ions as the charge carriers.

  19. Fluctuation charge effects in ionization fronts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arrayas, Manuel; Trueba, Jose L; Baltanas, J P

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we study the effects of charge fluctuations on the propagation of both negative and positive ionization fronts in streamer discharges. We show that fronts accelerate when random charge creation events are present. This effect might play a similar role to photoionization in order to make the front move faster

  20. Fluctuation charge effects in ionization fronts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arrayas, Manuel; Trueba, Jose L [Area de Electromagnetismo, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Camino del Molino s/n, 28943 Fuenlabrada, Madrid (Spain); Baltanas, J P [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada II, Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes 2, 41012 Sevilla (Spain)

    2008-05-21

    In this paper, we study the effects of charge fluctuations on the propagation of both negative and positive ionization fronts in streamer discharges. We show that fronts accelerate when random charge creation events are present. This effect might play a similar role to photoionization in order to make the front move faster.

  1. Hybrid finite element and Brownian dynamics method for charged particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huber, Gary A., E-mail: ghuber@ucsd.edu; Miao, Yinglong [Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0365 (United States); Zhou, Shenggao [Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Center for Interdiscipline Research, Soochow University, 1 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu (China); Li, Bo [Department of Mathematics and Quantitative Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0112 (United States); McCammon, J. Andrew [Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States); Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0365 (United States); Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0636 (United States)

    2016-04-28

    Diffusion is often the rate-determining step in many biological processes. Currently, the two main computational methods for studying diffusion are stochastic methods, such as Brownian dynamics, and continuum methods, such as the finite element method. A previous study introduced a new hybrid diffusion method that couples the strengths of each of these two methods, but was limited by the lack of interactions among the particles; the force on each particle had to be from an external field. This study further develops the method to allow charged particles. The method is derived for a general multidimensional system and is presented using a basic test case for a one-dimensional linear system with one charged species and a radially symmetric system with three charged species.

  2. Position-sensitive proportional counters using resistance-capacitance position encoding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kopp, M.K.; Borkowski, C.J.

    1975-12-01

    A new method was developed for encoding the position of individual photons, neutrons, or charged particles in proportional counters by using the distributed RC line characteristics of these counters. The signal processing is described and guidelines for the design and operation of these position sensitive proportional counters (PSPCs) are given. Using these guidelines, several prototypic PSPCs were constructed to improve the spatial resolution and shorten the signal processing time; for example, the intrinsic spatial uncertainty was reduced to 28 μ fwhm for alpha particles and 100 μ fwhm for low-energy x rays (2 to 6 keV). Also, the signal processing time was reduced to 0.6 μsec without seriously degrading the spatial resolution. These results have opened new fields of application of the RC position encoding method in imaging distributions of photons, charged particles, or neutrons in nuclear medicine, physics, and radiography

  3. Determination of charged particle beam parameters with taking into account of space charge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishkhanov, B.S.; Poseryaev, A.V.; Shvedunov, V.I.

    2005-01-01

    One describes a procedure to determine the basic parameters of a paraxial axially-symmetric beam of charged particles taking account of space charge contribution. The described procedure is based on application of the general equation for beam envelope. Paper presents data on its convergence and resistance to measurement errors. The position determination error of crossover (stretching) and radius of beam in crossover is maximum 15% , while the emittance determination error depends on emittance and space charge correlation. The introduced procedure was used to determine parameters of the available electron gun 20 keV energy beam with 0.64 A current. The derived results turned to agree closely with the design parameters [ru

  4. Quantification of the internalization patterns of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with opposite charge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schweiger Christoph

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Time-resolved quantitative colocalization analysis is a method based on confocal fluorescence microscopy allowing for a sophisticated characterization of nanomaterials with respect to their intracellular trafficking. This technique was applied to relate the internalization patterns of nanoparticles i.e. superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with distinct physicochemical characteristics with their uptake mechanism, rate and intracellular fate. The physicochemical characterization of the nanoparticles showed particles of approximately the same size and shape as well as similar magnetic properties, only differing in charge due to different surface coatings. Incubation of the cells with both nanoparticles resulted in strong differences in the internalization rate and in the intracellular localization depending on the charge. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of nanoparticles-organelle colocalization experiments revealed that positively charged particles were found to enter the cells faster using different endocytotic pathways than their negative counterparts. Nevertheless, both nanoparticles species were finally enriched inside lysosomal structures and their efficiency in agarose phantom relaxometry experiments was very similar. This quantitative analysis demonstrates that charge is a key factor influencing the nanoparticle-cell interactions, specially their intracellular accumulation. Despite differences in their physicochemical properties and intracellular distribution, the efficiencies of both nanoparticles as MRI agents were not significantly different.

  5. Charge transport parameters of HBC at different temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirkpatrick, J. [Max Planck Institut fuer Polymerforschung, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom); Marcon, V.; Kremer, K.; Andrienko, D. [Max Planck Institut fuer Polymerforschung, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Nelson, J. [Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom)

    2008-05-15

    We study the dependence on temperature of the charge transport parameters for hexabenzocoronene (HBC). Following from Marcus theory, two charge transport parameters will be calculated: the transfer integral and the difference in site energies. These parameters are strongly dependent on the orientation and position of molecules. Position and orientation of molecules are determined using molecular dynamics. Transfer integrals are calculated from a simplified INDO method. A technique to compute energetic disorder, that is the spread in site energies for the charge carriers, is developed. In the herringbone phase transfer integrals are higher, but so is energetic disorder. We consider three derivatives of HBC with different side chains, which lead to different phase behaviour and distributions of charge transport parameters. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  6. Charge Splitting In Situ Recorder (CSIR) for Real-Time Examination of Plasma Charging Effect in FinFET BEOL Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Yi-Pei; Hsieh, Ting-Huan; Lin, Chrong Jung; King, Ya-Chin

    2017-09-01

    A novel device for monitoring plasma-induced damage in the back-end-of-line (BEOL) process with charge splitting capability is first-time proposed and demonstrated. This novel charge splitting in situ recorder (CSIR) can independently trace the amount and polarity of plasma charging effects during the manufacturing process of advanced fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) circuits. Not only does it reveal the real-time and in situ plasma charging levels on the antennas, but it also separates positive and negative charging effect and provides two independent readings. As CMOS technologies push for finer metal lines in the future, the new charge separation scheme provides a powerful tool for BEOL process optimization and further device reliability improvements.

  7. Charging machine for a fast production reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artem'ev, L.N.; Kurilkin, V.V.

    1971-01-01

    Charging machine for a fast production reactor is described. The machine contains charging mechanism, mechanism for positioning fresh fuel and spent fuel assemtlies, storage drums with sockets for control rod assemtlies and collet tongs for control rods. Recharging is conducted by means of ramp channel

  8. Bounds on the g/sub K//sub N//sub Σ/ 2 coupling constant from positivity and charge-exchange data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antolin, J.

    1987-01-01

    Positivity of the imaginary part of the forward K - n elastic amplitude on the unphysical cut allows the calculation of bounds on the g/sub K//sub N//sub Σ/ 2 coupling constant using the forward differential cross sections of the charge-exchange reaction K - p→K-bar 0 n, the scarce K - n real-part data, and a Stieltjes parametrization of the K - p real-part data. The bounds on the coupling constant are 2.11 2 - n amplitude: (0.35 +- 0.05) +- (0.16 +- 0.04)i GeV/c

  9. Effective charge model in the theory of infrared intensities and its application for study of charge di.stribution in the molecules of organometallic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aleksanyan, V.T.; Samvelyan, S.Kh.

    1984-01-01

    General principles of plotting the parametric theory of IR spectrum intensities of polyatomic molecules are outlined. The development of the effective charges model in this theory is considered and the mathematical formalism of the first approximation of the method of effective atom charges is described in detail. The results of calculations of charges distribution in the Mo(CO) 6 , W(CO) 6 , Cp 2 V, Cp 2 Ru and others (Cp-cyclopentadiene), performed in the frame work of the outlined scheme are presented. It is shown that in the investigated carbonyles the effective charge on oxygen and metal atoms is negative, on carbon atom - positive. In dicyclopentavienyl complexes the effective charge on the metal atom is positive and is not over 0.6e; charge values on hydrogen and carbon atoms do not exceed, 0.10-0.15e. The notions of ''electrovalence'' of coordination bond and charge distribution in the case of metallocenes are not correlated

  10. Influence of an O{sub 2} background gas on the composition and kinetic energies of species in laser induced La{sub 0.4}Ca{sub 0.6}MnO{sub 3} plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Jikun; Stender, Dieter; Bator, Matthias; Schneider, Christof W. [Paul Scherrer Institute, General Energy Research Department, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Lippert, Thomas, E-mail: Thomas.lippert@psi.ch [Paul Scherrer Institute, General Energy Research Department, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Wokaun, Alexander [Paul Scherrer Institute, General Energy Research Department, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

    2013-08-01

    Oxygen is one of the most commonly used background gases for pulsed laser deposition of oxide thin films. In this work the properties of a 308 nm laser-induced La{sub 0.4}Ca{sub 0.6}MnO{sub 3} plasma were analyzed using a quadrupole mass spectrometer combined with an energy analyzer, to investigate the interaction between the various plasma species and the background gas. The composition and kinetic energies of the plasma species were compared in vacuum and an O{sub 2} background gas at different pressures. It has been observed that the O{sub 2} background gas decreases the kinetic energy of the positively charged atomic plasma species. In addition, the interaction with the O{sub 2} background gas causes the generation of positive diatomic oxide species of LaO{sup +}, CaO{sup +} and MnO{sup +}. The amount of negatively charged diatomic or tri-atomic oxide species decreases in the O{sub 2} background compared to vacuum, while the amount of O{sub 2}{sup −} increases strongly.

  11. Development of mini linac-based positron source and an efficient positronium convertor for positively charged antihydrogen production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muranaka, T.; Debu, P.; Dupré, P.; Liszkay, L.; Mansoulie, B.; Pérez, P.; Rey, J. M.; Ruiz, N.; Sacquin, Y.; Crivelli, P.; Gendotti, U.; Rubbia, A.

    2010-04-01

    We have installed in Saclay a facility for an intense positron source in November 2008. It is based on a compact 5.5 MeV electron linac connected to a reaction chamber with a tungsten target inside to produce positrons via pair production. The expected production rate for fast positrons is 5·1011 per second. The study of moderation of fast positrons and the construction of a slow positron trap are underway. In parallel, we have investigated an efficient positron-positronium convertor using porous silica materials. These studies are parts of a project to produce positively charged antihydrogen ions aiming to demonstrate the feasibility of a free fall antigravity measurement of neutral antihydrogen.

  12. Development of mini linac-based positron source and an efficient positronium convertor for positively charged antihydrogen production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muranaka, T; Debu, P; Dupre, P; Liszkay, L; Mansoulie, B; Perez, P; Rey, J M; Ruiz, N; Sacquin, Y; Crivelli, P; Gendotti, U; Rubbia, A

    2010-01-01

    We have installed in Saclay a facility for an intense positron source in November 2008. It is based on a compact 5.5 MeV electron linac connected to a reaction chamber with a tungsten target inside to produce positrons via pair production. The expected production rate for fast positrons is 5·10 11 per second. The study of moderation of fast positrons and the construction of a slow positron trap are underway. In parallel, we have investigated an efficient positron-positronium convertor using porous silica materials. These studies are parts of a project to produce positively charged antihydrogen ions aiming to demonstrate the feasibility of a free fall antigravity measurement of neutral antihydrogen.

  13. Development of mini linac-based positron source and an efficient positronium convertor for positively charged antihydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muranaka, T; Debu, P; Dupre, P; Liszkay, L; Mansoulie, B; Perez, P; Rey, J M; Ruiz, N; Sacquin, Y [Irfu, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Crivelli, P; Gendotti, U; Rubbia, A, E-mail: tomoko.muranaka@cea.f [Institut fuer TelichenPhysik, ETHZ, CH-8093 Zuerich (Switzerland)

    2010-04-01

    We have installed in Saclay a facility for an intense positron source in November 2008. It is based on a compact 5.5 MeV electron linac connected to a reaction chamber with a tungsten target inside to produce positrons via pair production. The expected production rate for fast positrons is 5{center_dot}10{sup 11} per second. The study of moderation of fast positrons and the construction of a slow positron trap are underway. In parallel, we have investigated an efficient positron-positronium convertor using porous silica materials. These studies are parts of a project to produce positively charged antihydrogen ions aiming to demonstrate the feasibility of a free fall antigravity measurement of neutral antihydrogen.

  14. The screening of charged impurities in bilayer graphene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Wenjing; Li, Lain-Jong

    2010-01-01

    Positively charged impurities were introduced into a bilayer graphene (BLG) transistor by n-doping with dimethylformamide. Subsequent exposure of the BLG device to moisture resulted in a positive shift of the Dirac point and an increase of hole mobility, suggesting that moisture could reduce the scattering strength of the existing charged impurities. In other words, moisture screened off the 'effective density' of charged impurities. At the early stage of moisture screening the scattering of hole carriers is dominated by long-range Coulomb scatter, but an alternative scattering mechanism should also be taken into consideration when the effective density of impurities is further lowered on moisture exposure.

  15. Long-Term Charge/Discharge Cycling Stability of MnO2 Aqueous Supercapacitor under Positive Polarization

    KAUST Repository

    Ataherian, Fatemeh

    2011-01-01

    The long-term charge/discharge cycling stability of MnO 2 electrode under positive polarization in aqueous KCl electrolyte has been studied over different potential windows spanning from the open circuit potential to varied higher-end potential limited by O 2 evolution. Cycling up to 1.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl (aq)) causes partial (35) capacitance fading to a plateau value within the initial cycles, accompanied by morphological reconstruction, reduction of surface Mn ions and oxygen evolution. The surface Mn-ion reduction has been attributed to a two-step oxidation-reduction mechanism involving OH oxidation in electrolyte, based on electrochemical analysis. When cycling potential extends to 1.4 V, extensive oxygen evolution takes place. The combination of surface passivation of current collector and extensive gas bubbling, which deteriorates electrical contact among the constituent particles within the electrode, results in further monotonic capacitance reduction. © 2011 The Electrochemical Society.

  16. Approximate energies and thermal properties of a position-dependent mass charged particle under external magnetic fields

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    M Eshghi; H Mehraban; S M Ikhdair

    2017-01-01

    We solve the Schr(o)dinger equation with a position-dependent mass (PDM) charged particle interacted via the superposition of the Morse-plus-Coulomb potentials and is under the influence of external magnetic and Aharonov-Bohm (AB) flux fields.The nonrelativistic bound state energies together with their wave functions are calculated for two spatially-dependent mass distribution functions.We also study the thermal quantifies of such a system.Further,the canonical formalism is used to compute various thermodynamic variables for second choosing mass by using the Gibbs formalism.We give plots for energy states as a function of various physical parameters.The behavior of the internal energy,specific heat,and entropy as functions of temperature and mass density parameter in the inverse-square mass case for different values of magnetic field are shown.

  17. Approximate energies and thermal properties of a position-dependent mass charged particle under external magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eshghi, M; Mehraban, H; Ikhdair, S M

    2017-01-01

    We solve the Schrödinger equation with a position-dependent mass (PDM) charged particle interacted via the superposition of the Morse-plus-Coulomb potentials and is under the influence of external magnetic and Aharonov–Bohm (AB) flux fields. The nonrelativistic bound state energies together with their wave functions are calculated for two spatially-dependent mass distribution functions. We also study the thermal quantities of such a system. Further, the canonical formalism is used to compute various thermodynamic variables for second choosing mass by using the Gibbs formalism. We give plots for energy states as a function of various physical parameters. The behavior of the internal energy, specific heat, and entropy as functions of temperature and mass density parameter in the inverse-square mass case for different values of magnetic field are shown. (paper)

  18. Charge Generation and Propagation in Igneous Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freund, Friedemann

    2002-01-01

    Various electrical phenomena have been reported prior to or concurrent with earthquakes such as resistivity changes, ground potentials, electromagnetic (EM), and luminous signals. Doubts have been raised as to whether some of these phenomena are real and indeed precursory. One of the reasons for uncertainty is that, despite decades of intense work, there is still no physically coherent model. Using low- to medium-velocity impacts to measure electrical signals with microsecond time resolution, it has now been observed that when dry gabbro and diorite cores are impacted at relatively low velocities, approximately 100 m/s, highly mobile charge carriers are generated in a small volume near the impact point. They spread through the rocks, causing electric potentials exceeding +400 mV, EM, and light emission. As the charge cloud spreads, the rock becomes momentarily conductive. When a dry granite block is impacted at higher velocity, approximately 1.5 km/s, the propagation of the P and S waves is registered through the transient piezoelectric response of quartz. After the sound waves have passed, the surface of the granite block becomes positively charged, suggesting the same charge carriers as observed during the low-velocity impact experiments, expanding from within the bulk. During the next 2-3 ms the surface potential oscillates, indicating pulses of electrons injected from ground and contact electrodes. The observations are consistent with positive holes, e.g., defect electrons in the O(2-) sublattice, traveling via the O 2p-dominated valence band of the silicate minerals. Before activation, the positive holes lay dormant in the form of electrically inactive positive hole pairs (PHP), chemically equivalent to peroxy links, O3X/OO\\XO3, with X=Si(4+), Al(3+), etc. PHPs are introduced into the minerals by way of hydroxyl,O3X-OH, which all nominally anhydrous minerals incorporate when crystallizing in H2O-laden environments. The fact that positive holes can be

  19. AARHUS: Exotic charge states in ASTRID

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moller, Soren Pape

    1995-01-01

    Ions are atoms from which one or more orbital electrons have been detached. This removal can be done, for example, by impact of other electrons. Today beams of bare ions - nuclei without any electrons - are available, for example at the GSI heavy ion Laboratory, Darmstadt, even for the heaviest elements. Molecules too can be ionized by removal of one electron and these molecules can be accelerated to form high energy beams. Molecules are, however, generally not expected to be stable when more than one electron is missing, since there is too little negative charge to bind the positive nuclei. It was therefore a surprise when a stable doubly-charged molecular ion was found at experiments at the ASTRID storage ring, Aarhus, Denmark. The aim of the experiment was to measure lifetimes of expected metastable states of doubly-charged carbon monoxide, CO ++ . The CO ++ ions were produced in an ion source and the accelerated beam injected into the storage ring. The circulating intensity was then monitored by detecting neutral species produced in restgas collisions at the end of a straight section. For CO ++ , a fraction of the beam survived for tens of seconds, with a lifetime around 4 seconds. This lifetime was dominated by restgas collisions. The base pressure was around 2 x 10 -11 mbar. In order to avoid contamination from molecules with the same mass/charge ratio, e.g. singly-charged nitrogen-14, the carbon monoxide used was based on the naturally rare isotope carbon-13 rather than the abundant carbon-12. Many atoms can also bind an additional electron and form negative ions. Several negative ions are metastable, and lifetime measurements performed at ASTRID and elsewhere produce accurate results important for comparisons with theory. Double-charged negative ions could in principle exist, and indications of metastable states of H - and O - were seen some years ago as resonances in the electron bombardment of negative hydrogen ions. This process was recently studied at

  20. AARHUS: Exotic charge states in ASTRID

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moller, Soren Pape

    1995-04-15

    Ions are atoms from which one or more orbital electrons have been detached. This removal can be done, for example, by impact of other electrons. Today beams of bare ions - nuclei without any electrons - are available, for example at the GSI heavy ion Laboratory, Darmstadt, even for the heaviest elements. Molecules too can be ionized by removal of one electron and these molecules can be accelerated to form high energy beams. Molecules are, however, generally not expected to be stable when more than one electron is missing, since there is too little negative charge to bind the positive nuclei. It was therefore a surprise when a stable doubly-charged molecular ion was found at experiments at the ASTRID storage ring, Aarhus, Denmark. The aim of the experiment was to measure lifetimes of expected metastable states of doubly-charged carbon monoxide, CO{sup ++}. The CO{sup ++} ions were produced in an ion source and the accelerated beam injected into the storage ring. The circulating intensity was then monitored by detecting neutral species produced in restgas collisions at the end of a straight section. For CO{sup ++}, a fraction of the beam survived for tens of seconds, with a lifetime around 4 seconds. This lifetime was dominated by restgas collisions. The base pressure was around 2 x 10{sup -11} mbar. In order to avoid contamination from molecules with the same mass/charge ratio, e.g. singly-charged nitrogen-14, the carbon monoxide used was based on the naturally rare isotope carbon-13 rather than the abundant carbon-12. Many atoms can also bind an additional electron and form negative ions. Several negative ions are metastable, and lifetime measurements performed at ASTRID and elsewhere produce accurate results important for comparisons with theory. Double-charged negative ions could in principle exist, and indications of metastable states of H{sup -} and O{sup -} were seen some years ago as resonances in the electron bombardment of negative hydrogen ions. This

  1. Model improvements to simulate charging in SEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arat, K. T.; Klimpel, T.; Hagen, C. W.

    2018-03-01

    Charging of insulators is a complex phenomenon to simulate since the accuracy of the simulations is very sensitive to the interaction of electrons with matter and electric fields. In this study, we report model improvements for a previously developed Monte-Carlo simulator to more accurately simulate samples that charge. The improvements include both modelling of low energy electron scattering and charging of insulators. The new first-principle scattering models provide a more realistic charge distribution cloud in the material, and a better match between non-charging simulations and experimental results. Improvements on charging models mainly focus on redistribution of the charge carriers in the material with an induced conductivity (EBIC) and a breakdown model, leading to a smoother distribution of the charges. Combined with a more accurate tracing of low energy electrons in the electric field, we managed to reproduce the dynamically changing charging contrast due to an induced positive surface potential.

  2. Role of uniform pore structure and high positive charges in the arsenate adsorption performance of Al13-modified montmorillonite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Shou; Feng, Chenghong; Huang, Xiangning; Li, Baohua; Niu, Junfeng; Shen, Zhenyao

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Al 13 modification changes As(V) sorption mechanism of montmorillonites. ► Intercalated ion charges mainly affects As(V) adsorption kinetics. ► Uniform pore structure exhibit more excellent As(V) adsorption performance. - Abstract: Four modified montmorillonite adsorbents with varied Al 13 contents (i.e., Na-Mont, AC-Mont, PAC 20 -Mont, and Al 13 -Mont) were synthesized and characterized by N 2 adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared analyses. The arsenate adsorption performance of the four adsorbents were also investigated to determine the role of intercalated Al 13 , especially its high purity, high positive charge (+7), and special Keggin structure. With increased Al 13 content, the physicochemical properties (e.g., surface area, structural uniformity, basal spacing, and pore volume) and adsorption performance of the modified montmorillonites were significantly but disproportionately improved. The adsorption data well fitted the Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson isotherm model, whereas the kinetic data better correlated with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The arsenate sorption mechanism of the montmorillonites changed from physical to chemisorption after intercalation with Al 13 . Increasing charges of the intercalated ions enhanced the arsenate adsorption kinetics, but had minimal effect on the structural changes of the montmorillonites. The uniform pore structure formed by intercalation with high-purity Al 13 greatly enhanced the pore diffusion and adsorption rate of arsenate, resulting in the high adsorption performance of Al 13 -Mont.

  3. Two-species occupancy modeling accounting for species misidentification and nondetection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambert, Thierry; Grant, Evan H. Campbell; Miller, David A. W.; Nichols, James; Mulder, Kevin P.; Brand, Adrianne B,

    2018-01-01

    1. In occupancy studies, species misidentification can lead to false positive detections, which can cause severe estimator biases. Currently, all models that account for false positive errors only consider omnibus sources of false detections and are limited to single species occupancy. 2. However, false detections for a given species often occur because of the misidentification with another, closely-related species. To exploit this explicit source of false positive detection error, we develop a two-species occupancy model that accounts for misidentifications between two species of interest. As with other false positive models, identifiability is greatly improved by the availability of unambiguous detections at a subset of site-occasions. Here, we consider the case where some of the field observations can be confirmed using laboratory or other independent identification methods (“confirmatory data”). 3. We performed three simulation studies to (1) assess the model’s performance under various realistic scenarios, (2) investigate the influence of the proportion of confirmatory data on estimator accuracy, and (3) compare the performance of this two-species model with that of the single-species false positive model. The model shows good performance under all scenarios, even when only small proportions of detections are confirmed (e.g., 5%). It also clearly outperforms the single-species model.

  4. Low charge state heavy ion production with sub-nanosecond laser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanesue, T; Kumaki, M; Ikeda, S; Okamura, M

    2016-02-01

    We have investigated laser ablation plasma of various species using nanosecond and sub-nanosecond lasers for both high and low charge state ion productions. We found that with sub-nanosecond laser, the generated plasma has a long tail which has low charge state ions determined by an electrostatic ion analyzer even under the laser irradiation condition for highly charged ion production. This can be caused by insufficient laser absorption in plasma plume. This property might be suitable for low charge state ion production. We used a nanosecond laser and a sub-nanosecond laser for low charge state ion production to investigate the difference of generated plasma using the Zirconium target.

  5. Low charge state heavy ion production with sub-nanosecond laser

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanesue, T., E-mail: tkanesue@bnl.gov; Okamura, M. [Collider-Accelerator Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); Kumaki, M. [Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Ikeda, S. [Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 226-8503 (Japan)

    2016-02-15

    We have investigated laser ablation plasma of various species using nanosecond and sub-nanosecond lasers for both high and low charge state ion productions. We found that with sub-nanosecond laser, the generated plasma has a long tail which has low charge state ions determined by an electrostatic ion analyzer even under the laser irradiation condition for highly charged ion production. This can be caused by insufficient laser absorption in plasma plume. This property might be suitable for low charge state ion production. We used a nanosecond laser and a sub-nanosecond laser for low charge state ion production to investigate the difference of generated plasma using the Zirconium target.

  6. Covariance of charged amino acids at positions 322 and 440 of HIV-1 Env contributes to coreceptor specificity of subtype B viruses, and can be used to improve the performance of V3 sequence-based coreceptor usage prediction algorithms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kieran Cashin

    Full Text Available The ability to determine coreceptor usage of patient-derived human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 strains is clinically important, particularly for the administration of the CCR5 antagonist maraviroc. The envelope glycoprotein (Env determinants of coreceptor specificity lie primarily within the gp120 V3 loop region, although other Env determinants have been shown to influence gp120-coreceptor interactions. Here, we determined whether conserved amino acid alterations outside the V3 loop that contribute to coreceptor usage exist, and whether these alterations improve the performance of V3 sequence-based coreceptor usage prediction algorithms. We demonstrate a significant covariant association between charged amino acids at position 322 in V3 and position 440 in the C4 Env region that contributes to the specificity of HIV-1 subtype B strains for CCR5 or CXCR4. Specifically, positively charged Lys/Arg at position 322 and negatively charged Asp/Glu at position 440 occurred more frequently in CXCR4-using viruses, whereas negatively charged Asp/Glu at position 322 and positively charged Arg at position 440 occurred more frequently in R5 strains. In the context of CD4-bound gp120, structural models suggest that covariation of amino acids at Env positions 322 and 440 has the potential to alter electrostatic interactions that are formed between gp120 and charged amino acids in the CCR5 N-terminus. We further demonstrate that inclusion of a "440 rule" can improve the sensitivity of several V3 sequence-based genotypic algorithms for predicting coreceptor usage of subtype B HIV-1 strains, without compromising specificity, and significantly improves the AUROC of the geno2pheno algorithm when set to its recommended false positive rate of 5.75%. Together, our results provide further mechanistic insights into the intra-molecular interactions within Env that contribute to coreceptor specificity of subtype B HIV-1 strains, and demonstrate that incorporation

  7. Effect of surface charge of immortalized mouse cerebral endothelial cell monolayer on transport of charged solutes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Wei; Li, Guanglei; Gil, Eun Seok; Lowe, Tao Lu; Fu, Bingmei M

    2010-04-01

    Charge carried by the surface glycocalyx layer (SGL) of the cerebral endothelium has been shown to significantly modulate the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to charged solutes in vivo. The cultured monolayer of bEnd3, an immortalized mouse cerebral endothelial cell line, is becoming a popular in vitro BBB model due to its easy growth and maintenance of many BBB characteristics over repeated passages. To test whether the SGL of bEnd3 monolayer carries similar charge as that in the intact BBB and quantify this charge, which can be characterized by the SGL thickness (L(f)) and charge density (C(mf)), we measured the solute permeability of bEnd3 monolayer to neutral solutes and to solutes with similar size but opposite charges: negatively charged alpha-lactalbumin (-11) and positively charged ribonuclease (+3). Combining the measured permeability data with a transport model across the cell monolayer, we predicted the L(f) and the C(mf) of bEnd3 monolayer, which is approximately 160 nm and approximately 25 mEq/L, respectively. We also investigated whether orosomucoid, a plasma glycoprotein modulating the charge of the intact BBB, alters the charge of bEnd3 monolayer. We found that 1 mg/mL orosomucoid would increase SGL charge density of bEnd3 monolayer to approximately 2-fold of its control value.

  8. An ecological paradox: high species diversity and low position of the upper forest line in the Andean Depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Thorsten; Braeuning, Achim; Muenchow, Jannes; Richter, Michael

    2014-06-01

    Systematic investigations of the upper forest line (UFL) primarily concentrate on mid and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, whereas studies of Neotropical UFLs are still fragmentary. This article outlines the extraordinary high tree diversity at the UFL within the Andean Depression and unravels the links between the comparatively low position of the local UFL, high tree-species diversity, and climate. On the basis of Gentry's rapid inventory methodology for the tropics, vegetation sampling was conducted at 12 UFL sites, and local climate (temperature, wind, precipitation, and soil moisture) was investigated at six sites. Monotypic forests dominated by Polylepis were only found at the higher located margins of the Andean Depression while the lower situated core areas were characterized by a species-rich forest, which lacked the elsewhere dominant tree-species Polylepis. In total, a remarkably high tree-species number of 255 tree species of 40 different plant families was found. Beta-diversity was also high with more than two complete species turnovers. A non-linear relationship between the floristic similarity of the investigated study sites and elevation was detected. Temperatures at the investigated study sites clearly exceeded 5.5°C, the postulated threshold value for the upper tree growth limit in the tropics. Instead, quasi-permanent trade winds, high precipitation amounts, and high soil water contents affect the local position of the UFL in a negative way. Interestingly, most of the above-mentioned factors are also contributing to the high species richness. The result is a combination of a clearly marked upper forest line depression combined with an extraordinary forest line complexity, which was an almost unknown paradox.

  9. Dissociation of multiply charged ICN by Coulomb explosion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eland, J. H. D. [Department of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Singh, R.; Hult Roos, A.; Andersson, J.; Squibb, R. J.; Feifel, R. [Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Pickering, J. D.; Brouard, M. [Department of Chemistry, The Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford University, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA (United Kingdom); Slater, C. S. [Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Department of Chemistry, The Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford University, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA (United Kingdom); Zagorodskikh, S. [Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2016-08-21

    The fragmentations of iodine cyanide ions created with 2 to 8 positive charges by photoionization from inner shells with binding energies from 59 eV (I 4d) to ca. 900 eV (I 3p) have been examined by multi-electron and multi-ion coincidence spectroscopy with velocity map imaging ion capability. The charge distributions produced by hole formation in each shell are characterised and systematic effects of the number of charges and of initial charge localisation are found.

  10. Clinical physics for charged particle treatment planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, G.T.Y.; Pitluck, S.; Lyman, J.T.

    1981-01-01

    The installation of a computerized tomography (CT) scanner which can be used with the patient in an upright position is described. This technique will enhance precise location of tumor position relative to critical structures for accurate charged particle dose delivery during fixed horizontal beam radiotherapy. Pixel-by-pixel treatment planning programs have been developed to calculate the dose distribution from multi-port charged particle beams. The plan includes CT scans, data interpretation, and dose calculations. The treatment planning computer is discussed. Treatment planning for irradiation of ocular melanomas is described

  11. Physical and chemical events that follow the passage of a charged particle in liquid water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wright, H.A.; Hamm, R.N.; Turner, J.E.; Magee, J.L.; Chatterjee, A.

    1986-01-01

    Biological effects of radiation are the result of a complicated sequence of events that begins with initial physical interactions that are complete by ∼10 -15 s, followed by chemical interactions that begin at ∼10 -11 s and are completed by ∼10 -15 s, and followed by later biochemical and biological events, some of which may not occur for years. A central problem in radiation physics and radiation chemistry is to understand the details of the physical and chemical events that occur during that first microsecond following the passage of a charged particle. Significant progress has been made recently at linking early physical events with later chemical events. The authors have developed a Monte Carlo computer code to calculate the position and identity of each physical event that a charged particle (electron, proton, alpha) and all of its secondaries undergoes in traversing liquid water. The code then calculates the position and identity of each reactive chemical species (ion or radical) that is produced from these physical events and is present at 10 -11 s, and then follows each reactant through the diffusion and chemical reaction stage of track development. This work will be discussed and examples of pictures of charged-particle tracks at various times will be shown. 11 references, 9 figures, 4 tables

  12. Digitization errors using digital charge division positionsensitive detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berliner, R.; Mildner, D.F.R.; Pringle, O.A.

    1981-01-01

    The data acquisition speed and electronic stability of a charge division position-sensitive detector may be improved by using digital signal processing with a table look-up high speed multiply to form the charge division quotient. This digitization process introduces a positional quantization difficulty which reduces the detector position sensitivity. The degree of the digitization error is dependent on the pulse height spectrum of the detector and on the resolution or dynamic range of the system analog-to-digital converters. The effects have been investigated analytically and by computer simulation. The optimum algorithm for position sensing determination using 8-bit digitization and arithmetic has a digitization error of less than 1%. (orig.)

  13. Electrostatic self-assembly in polyelectrolyte-neutral block copolymers and oppositely charged surfactant solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berret, J.-F.Jean-Francois; Oberdisse, Julian

    2004-01-01

    We report on small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) of colloidal complexes resulting from the electrostatic self-assembly of polyelectrolyte-neutral copolymers and oppositely charged surfactants. The polymers are double hydrophilic block copolymers of low molecular weight (between 5000 and 50 000 g/mol). One block is a polyelectrolyte chain, which can be either positively or negatively charged, whereas the second block is neutral and in good solvent conditions. In aqueous solutions, surfactants with an opposite charge to that of the polyelectrolyte interact strongly with these copolymers. The two species associate into stable 100 nm-colloidal complexes which exhibit a core-shell microstructure. For different polymer/surfactant couples, we have shown that the core is constituted from densely packed surfactant micelles connected by the polyelectrolyte chains. The outer part of the complex is a corona formed by the neutral soluble chains. Using a model of aggregation based on a Monte-Carlo algorithm, we have simulated the internal structure of the aggregates. The model assumes spherical cages containing one to several hundreds of micelles in a closely packed state. The agreement between the model and the data is remarkable

  14. Bose-Einstein study of position-momentum correlations of charged pions in hadronic $Z^{0}$ decays

    CERN Document Server

    Abbiendi, G.; Akesson, P.F.; Alexander, G.; Anagnostou, G.; Anderson, K.J.; Asai, S.; Axen, D.; Bailey, I.; Barberio, E.; Barillari, T.; Barlow, R.J.; Batley, R.J.; Bechtle, P.; Behnke, T.; Bell, Kenneth Watson; Bell, P.J.; Bella, G.; Bellerive, A.; Benelli, G.; Bethke, S.; Biebel, O.; Boeriu, O.; Bock, P.; Boutemeur, M.; Braibant, S.; Brown, Robert M.; Burckhart, H.J.; Campana, S.; Capiluppi, P.; Carnegie, R.K.; Carter, A.A.; Carter, J.R.; Chang, C.Y.; Charlton, D.G.; Ciocca, C.; Csilling, A.; Cuffiani, M.; Dado, S.; Dallavalle, G.M.; De Roeck, A.; De Wolf, E.A.; Desch, K.; Dienes, B.; Dubbert, J.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Duerdoth, I.P.; Etzion, E.; Fabbri, F.; Ferrari, P.; Fiedler, F.; Fleck, I.; Ford, M.; Frey, A.; Gagnon, P.; Gary, John William; Geich-Gimbel, C.; Giacomelli, G.; Giacomelli, P.; Giunta, Marina; Goldberg, J.; Gross, E.; Grunhaus, J.; Gruwe, M.; Gupta, A.; Hajdu, C.; Hamann, M.; Hanson, G.G.; Harel, A.; Hauschild, M.; Hawkes, C.M.; Hawkings, R.; Herten, G.; Heuer, R.D.; Hill, J.C.; Horvath, D.; Igo-Kemenes, P.; Ishii, K.; Jeremie, H.; Jovanovic, P.; Junk, T.R.; Kanzaki, J.; Karlen, D.; Kawagoe, K.; Kawamoto, T.; Keeler, R.K.; Kellogg, R.G.; Kennedy, B.W.; Kluth, S.; Kobayashi, T.; Kobel, M.; Komamiya, S.; Kramer, T.; Krasznahorkay, A., Jr.; Krieger, P.; von Krogh, J.; Kuhl, T.; Kupper, M.; Lafferty, G.D.; Landsman, H.; Lanske, D.; Lellouch, D.; Lettso, J.; Levinson, L.; Lillich, J.; Lloyd, S.L.; Loebinger, F.K.; Lu, J.; Ludwig, A.; Ludwig, J.; Mader, W.; Marcellini, S.; Martin, A.J.; Mashimo, T.; Mattig, Peter; McKenna, J.; McPherson, R.A.; Meijers, F.; Menges, W.; Merritt, F.S.; Mes, H.; Meyer, N.; Michelini, A.; Mihara, S.; Mikenberg, G.; Miller, D.J.; Mohr, W.; Mori, T.; Mutter, A.; Nagai, K.; Nakamura, I.; Nanjo, H.; Neal, H.A.; O'Neale, S.W.; Oh, A.; Oreglia, M.J.; Orito, S.; Pahl, C.; Pasztor, G.; Pater, J.R.; Pilcher, J.E.; Pinfold, J.; Plane, D.E.; Pooth, O.; Przybycien, M.; Quadt, A.; Rabbertz, K.; Rembser, C.; Renkel, P.; Roney, J.M.; Rossi, A.M.; Rozen, Y.; Runge, K.; Sachs, K.; Saeki, T.; Sarkisyan, E.K.G.; Schaile, A.D.; Schaile, O.; Scharff-Hansen, P.; Schieck, J.; Schorner-Sadenius, T.; Schroder, M.; Schumacher, M.; Seuster, R.; Shears, T.G.; Shen, B.C.; Sherwood, P.; Skuja, A.; Smith, A.M.; Sobie, R.; Soldner-Rembold, S.; Spano, F.; Stahl, A.; Strom, David M.; Strohmer, R.; Tarem, S.; Tasevsky, M.; Teuscher, R.; Thomson, M.A.; Torrence, E.; Toya, D.; Trigger, I.; Trocsanyi, Z.; Tsur, E.; Turner-Watson, M.F.; Ueda, I.; Ujvari, B.; Vollmer, C.F.; Vannerem, P.; Vertesi, R.; Verzocchi, M.; Voss, H.; Vossebeld, J.; Ward, C.P.; Ward, D.R.; Watkins, P.M.; Watson, A.T.; Watson, N.K.; Wells, P.S.; Wengler, T.; Wermes, N.; Wilson, G.W.; Wilson, J.A.; Wolf, G.; Wyatt, T.R.; Yamashita, S.; Zer-Zion, D.; Zivkovic, Lidija

    2007-01-01

    A study of Bose-Einstein correlations in pairs of identically charged pions produced in e+e- annihilations at the Z0 peak has been performed for the first time assuming a non-static emitting source. The results are based on the high statistics data obtained with the OPAL detector at LEP. The correlation functions have been analyzed in intervals of the average pair transverse momentum and of the pair rapidity, in order to study possible correlations between the pion production points and their momenta (position-momentum correlations). The Yano-Koonin and the Bertsch-Pratt parameterizations have been fitted to the measured correlation functions to estimate the geometrical parameters of the source as well as the velocity of the source elements with respect to the overall centre-of-mass frame. The source rapidity is found to scale approximately with the pair rapidity, and both the longitudinal and transverse source dimensions are found to decrease for increasing average pair transverse momenta.

  15. Surface-Selective Preferential Production of Reactive Oxygen Species on Piezoelectric Ceramics for Bacterial Killing

    OpenAIRE

    Tan, Guoxin; Wang, Shuangying; Zhu, Ye; Zhou, Lei; Yu, Peng; Wang, Xiaolan; He, Tianrui; Chen, Junqi; Mao, Chuanbin; Ning, Chengyun

    2016-01-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be used to kill bacterial cells, and thus the selective generation of ROS from material surfaces is an emerging direction in antibacterial material discovery. We found the polarization of piezoelectric ceramic causes the two sides of the disk to become positively and negatively charged, which translate into cathode and anode surfaces in an aqueous solution. Because of the microelectrolysis of water, ROS are preferentially formed on the cathode surface. Conseq...

  16. Semiconductor drift chamber: an application of a novel charge transport scheme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gatti, E.; Rehak, P.

    1983-08-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe a novel charge tranport scheme in semiconductors in which the field responsible for the charge transport is independent of the depletion field. The application of the novel charge transport scheme leads to the following new semiconductor detectors: (1) Semiconductor Draft Chamber; (2) Ultra low capacitance - large semiconductor x-ray spectrometers and photodiodes; and (3) Fully depleted thick CCD. Special attention is paid to the concept of the Semiconductor Draft Chamber as a position sensing detector for high energy charged particles. Position resolution limiting factors are considered, and the values of the resolutions are given

  17. Charge Spreading and Position Sensitivity in a Segmented Planar Germanium Detector (Preprint)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kroeger, R. A; Gehrels, N; Johnson, W. N; Kurfess, J. D; Phlips, B. P; Tueller, J

    1998-01-01

    The size of the charge cloud collected in a segmented germanium detector is limited by the size of the initial cloud, uniformity of the electric field, and the diffusion of electrons and holes through the detector...

  18. Theoretical Evaluation of the Escape Rate of Charged Particles Trapped in a Potential Energy Well

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang Yongbin; Ordonez, C.A.

    2003-01-01

    In various types of charged particle sources and traps, charged particles are temporarily trapped within a potential energy well. In the work reported, a theoretical evaluation of the escape rate of trapped charged particles is carried out. As a specific example, the loss rate is evaluated for trapped plasma particles that are undergoing both collisions among themselves and collisions with particles of a different plasma species having a different temperature. Conditions are considered in which both species are confined within a nested Penning trap

  19. Environmental charging of spacecraft-tests of thermal control materials for use on the global positioning system flight space vehicle. Part 2: Specimen 6 to 9

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, N. J.; Berkopec, F. D.; Blech, R. A.

    1976-01-01

    The NASA/USAF program on the Environmental Charging of Spacecraft Surfaces consists, in part, of experimental efforts directed toward evaluating the response of materials to the environmental charged particle flux. Samples of thermal blankets of the type to be used on the Global Positioning System Flight Space Vehicles were tested to determine their response to electron flux. The primary result observed was that no discharges were obtained with the quartz-fiber-fabric-covered multilayer insulation specimen. The taped aluminized polyester grounding system used on all specimens did not appear to grossly deteriorate with time; however, the specimens require specific external pressure to maintain constant grounding system resistance.

  20. Solvation thermodynamics and heat capacity of polar and charged solutes in water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sedlmeier, Felix; Netz, Roland R.

    2013-03-01

    The solvation thermodynamics and in particular the solvation heat capacity of polar and charged solutes in water is studied using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. As ionic solutes we consider a F- and a Na+ ion, as an example for a polar molecule with vanishing net charge we take a SPC/E water molecule. The partial charges of all three solutes are varied in a wide range by a scaling factor. Using a recently introduced method for the accurate determination of the solvation free energy of polar solutes, we determine the free energy, entropy, enthalpy, and heat capacity of the three different solutes as a function of temperature and partial solute charge. We find that the sum of the solvation heat capacities of the Na+ and F- ions is negative, in agreement with experimental observations, but our results uncover a pronounced difference in the heat capacity between positively and negatively charged groups. While the solvation heat capacity ΔCp stays positive and even increases slightly upon charging the Na+ ion, it decreases upon charging the F- ion and becomes negative beyond an ion charge of q = -0.3e. On the other hand, the heat capacity of the overall charge-neutral polar solute derived from a SPC/E water molecule is positive for all charge scaling factors considered by us. This means that the heat capacity of a wide class of polar solutes with vanishing net charge is positive. The common ascription of negative heat capacities to polar chemical groups might arise from the neglect of non-additive interaction effects between polar and apolar groups. The reason behind this non-additivity is suggested to be related to the second solvation shell that significantly affects the solvation thermodynamics and due to its large spatial extent induces quite long-ranged interactions between solvated molecular parts and groups.

  1. Optimization of nonthermal fusion power consistent with channeling of charged fusion product energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snyder, P.B.; Herrmann, M.C.; Fisch, N.J.

    1994-01-01

    If the energy of charged fusion products can be diverted directly to fuel ions, non-Maxwellian fuel ion distributions and temperature differences between species will result. To determine the importance of these nonthermal effects, the fusion power density is optimized at constant-β for non-thermal distributions that are self-consistently maintained by channeling of energy from charged fusion products. For D-T and D- 3 He reactors, with 75% of charged fusion product power diverted to fuel ions, temperature differences between electrons and ions increase the reactivity by 40-70%, while non-Maxwellian fuel ion distributions and temperature differences between ionic species increase the reactivity by an additional 3-15%

  2. A comparative study of species migration and diffusion mechanisms in all-vanadium redox flow batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Kyeongmin; Won, Seongyeon; Ju, Hyunchul

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Migration effects on crossover phenomena is examined. • Crossover and migration model is newly implemented. • Totally opposite crossover trend is observed with migration during charging. • During discharging, the crossover is enhanced due to migration. - ABSTRACT: According to the Nernst–Planck equation, the transport of charged species in porous electrodes is mainly driven by diffusion and migration. Although a number of all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) models have been developed by several VRFB modeling groups, a comparative study of these two ion transport mechanisms has not been clearly reported in the literature. In this study, we develop a three-dimensional (3-D), transient VRFB model that rigorously accounts for both diffusion and migration mechanisms of charged species, including V 2+ , V 3+ , VO 2+ ,VO 2 + and H + . The VRFB model relies upon five principles of conservation: mass, momentum, species, electric charge, and thermal energy. Due to the general form of the conservation equations, both species migration effects on species transport and species diffusion effects on charge transport are considered in the source terms of the model equations. The model calculates species migration and diffusion fluxes through the membrane and compares their relative magnitudes under various charging and discharging stages. This paper clearly elucidates the role of species migration on vanadium crossover and the subsequent capacity losses, demonstrating that the present VRFB model is a valuable tool for optimizing the component design and operation of VRFBs.

  3. Martian Atmospheric Pressure Static Charge Elimination Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansen, Michael R.

    2014-01-01

    A Martian pressure static charge elimination tool is currently in development in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory (ESPL) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In standard Earth atmosphere conditions, static charge can be neutralized from an insulating surface using air ionizers. These air ionizers generate ions through corona breakdown. The Martian atmosphere is 7 Torr of mostly carbon dioxide, which makes it inherently difficult to use similar methods as those used for standard atmosphere static elimination tools. An initial prototype has been developed to show feasibility of static charge elimination at low pressure, using corona discharge. A needle point and thin wire loop are used as the corona generating electrodes. A photo of the test apparatus is shown below. Positive and negative high voltage pulses are sent to the needle point. This creates positive and negative ions that can be used for static charge neutralization. In a preliminary test, a floating metal plate was charged to approximately 600 volts under Martian atmospheric conditions. The static elimination tool was enabled and the voltage on the metal plate dropped rapidly to -100 volts. This test data is displayed below. Optimization is necessary to improve the electrostatic balance of the static elimination tool.

  4. Sources for charged particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arianer, J.

    1997-01-01

    This document is a basic course on charged particle sources for post-graduate students and thematic schools on large facilities and accelerator physics. A simple but precise description of the creation and the emission of charged particles is presented. This course relies on every year upgraded reference documents. Following relevant topics are considered: electronic emission processes, technological and practical considerations on electron guns, positron sources, production of neutral atoms, ionization, plasma and discharge, different types of positive and negative ion sources, polarized particle sources, materials for the construction of ion sources, low energy beam production and transport. (N.T.)

  5. Screening of a dust particle charge in a humid air plasma created by an electron beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filippov, A. V.; Derbenev, I. N.; Kurkin, S. A.

    2018-01-01

    A kinetic model has been developed for charged particle reactions in a humid air plasma produced by a fast electron beam. The model includes over 550 reactions with electrons, 33 positive ion species and 14 negative ion species. The model has been tested by solving 48 non-steady state equations for number densities of charged particles in humid air electron beam plasma, and by comparing with the available experimental data. The system of 48 steady state equations has been solved by iterative method in order to define the main ion species of the humid air plasma. A reduced kinetic model has been developed to describe the processes with the main ions and electrons. Screening constants have been calculated on the basis of the reduced system by means of Leverrier-Fadeev method. The dependencies of screening constants on gas ionization rates have been found for the rates from 10 to 1018 cm-3s-1 and the fraction of water molecules from 0 to 2%. The analysis of the constants has revealed that one of them is close to the inverse Debye length, and the other constants are defined by the inverse diffusion lengths passed by ions in the characteristic times of the attachment, recombination, and ion conversion. Pure imaginary screening constants appear at low rates of gas ionization.

  6. Searches for Fractionally Charged Particles: What Should Be Done Next?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perl, Martin L.; /SLAC

    2009-01-15

    Since the initial measurements of the electron charge a century ago, experimenters have faced the persistent question as to whether elementary particles exist that have charges that are fractional multiples of the electron charge. I concisely review the results of the last 50 years of searching for fractional charge particles with no confirmed positive results. I discuss the question of whether more searching is worthwhile?

  7. Is the negative glow plasma of a direct current glow discharge negatively charged?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogdanov, E. A.; Saifutdinov, A. I.; Demidov, V. I.; Kudryavtsev, A. A.

    2015-01-01

    A classic problem in gas discharge physics is discussed: what is the sign of charge density in the negative glow region of a glow discharge? It is shown that traditional interpretations in text-books on gas discharge physics that states a negative charge of the negative glow plasma are based on analogies with a simple one-dimensional model of discharge. Because the real glow discharges with a positive column are always two-dimensional, the transversal (radial) term in divergence with the electric field can provide a non-monotonic axial profile of charge density in the plasma, while maintaining a positive sign. The numerical calculation of glow discharge is presented, showing a positive space charge in the negative glow under conditions, where a one-dimensional model of the discharge would predict a negative space charge

  8. Hydrogen Peroxide Involved Anodic Charge Transfer and Electrochemiluminescence of All-Inorganic Halide Perovskite CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals in an Aqueous Medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yan; Long, Xiaoyan; Shen, Dazhong; Zou, Guizheng; Zhang, Bin; Wang, Huaisheng

    2017-09-05

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved anodic charge transfer and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of all-inorganic halide perovskite CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals (NCs) were investigated in an aqueous medium with hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as the model. CsPbBr 3 NCs could be electrochemically oxidized to positively charged states by injecting holes onto the highest occupied molecular orbitals and could be chemically reduced to negatively charged states by injecting electrons onto the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals by ROS. The charge transfer between CsPbBr 3 NCs of oxidative and reductive states could bring out monochromatic ECL with onset around +0.8 V, maximum emission around 519 nm, and a full width at half-maximum around 20 nm. H 2 O 2 could selectively enhance the anodic ECL of CsPbBr 3 NCs, which not only opened a way to design a bioprocess-involved photovoltaic device with CsPbBr 3 NCs but also was promising for color-selective ECL biosensing.

  9. Complex fluids with mobile charge-regulating macro-ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markovich, Tomer; Andelman, David; Podgornik, Rudi

    2017-10-01

    We generalize the concept of charge regulation of ionic solutions, and apply it to complex fluids with mobile macro-ions having internal non-electrostatic degrees of freedom. The suggested framework provides a convenient tool for investigating systems where mobile macro-ions can self-regulate their charge (e.g., proteins). We show that even within a simplified charge-regulation model, the charge dissociation equilibrium results in different and notable properties. Consequences of the charge regulation include a positional dependence of the effective charge of the macro-ions, a non-monotonic dependence of the effective Debye screening length on the concentration of the monovalent salt, a modification of the electric double-layer structure, and buffering by the macro-ions of the background electrolyte.

  10. Charge of a macroscopic particle in a plasma sheath

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samarian, A.A.; Vladimirov, S.V.

    2003-01-01

    Charging of a macroscopic body levitating in a rf plasma sheath is studied experimentally and theoretically. The nonlinear charge vs size dependence is obtained. The observed nonlinearity is explained on the basis of an approach taking into account different plasma conditions for the levitation positions of different particles. The importance of suprathermal electrons' contribution to the charging process is demonstrated

  11. Indicator species of essential forest tree species in the Burdur district.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negiz, Mehmet Güvenç; Eser, Yunus; Kuzugüdenll, Emre; Izkan, Kürşad

    2015-01-01

    The forests of Burdur district for long have been subjected to over grazing and individual selection. As a result of this, majority of the forest areas in the district were degraded. In the district, afforestation efforts included majority of forestry implementations. It is well known that selecting suitable species plays an important role for achieving afforestation efforts. In this context, knowing the indicator species among the target species would be used in afforestation efforts, studies on the interrelationships between environmental factors and target species distribution is vital for selecting suitable species for a given area. In this study, Anatolian Black pine (Pinus nigra), Red pine (Pinus brutia), Crimean juniper (Juniperus excelsa) and Taurus cedar (Cedrus libani), essential tree species, were considered as target species. The data taken from 100 sample plots in Burdur district was used. Interspecific correlation analysis was performed to determine the positive and negative indicator species among each of the target species. As a result of ICA, 2 positive (Berberis crataegina, Juniperus oxycedrus), 2 negative (Phillyrea latifolia, Quercus coccifera) for Crimean Juniper, I positive (Juniperus oxycedrus), 3 negative (Onopordium acanthium, Fraxinus ornus, Phillyrea latifolia) for Anatolian black pine, 3 positive (Paliurus spina-christi, Quercus coccifer, Crataegus orientalis), 2 negative (Berberis crataegina, Astragalus nanus) for Red pine and 3 positive (Berberis crataegina, Rhamnus oleoides, Astragalus prusianus) 2 negative (Paliurus spina-christi, Quercus cerris) for Taurus cedarwere defined as indicator plant species. In this way, practical information was obtained for selecting the most suitable species, among the target species, for afforestation efforts in Burdur district.

  12. Measurements of Lunar Dust Charging Properties by Electron Impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Mian M.; Tankosic, Dragana; Craven, Paul D.; Schneider, Todd A.; Vaughn, Jason A.; LeClair, Andre; Spann, James F.; Norwood, Joseph K.

    2009-01-01

    Dust grains in the lunar environment are believed to be electrostatically charged predominantly by photoelectric emissions resulting from solar UV radiation on the dayside, and on the nightside by interaction with electrons in the solar wind plasma. In the high vacuum environment on the lunar surface with virtually no atmosphere, the positive and negative charge states of micron/submicron dust grains lead to some unusual physical and dynamical dust phenomena. Knowledge of the electrostatic charging properties of dust grains in the lunar environment is required for addressing their hazardous effect on the humans and mechanical systems. It is well recognized that the charging properties of individual small micron size dust grains are substantially different from the measurements on bulk materials. In this paper we present the results of measurements on charging of individual Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 dust grains by exposing them to mono-energetic electron beams in the 10-100 eV energy range. The charging/discharging rates of positively and negatively charged particles of approx. 0.1 to 5 micron radii are discussed in terms of the sticking efficiencies and secondary electron yields. The secondary electron emission process is found to be a complex and effective charging/discharging mechanism for incident electron energies as low as 10-25 eV, with a strong dependence on particle size. Implications of the laboratory measurements on the nature of dust grain charging in the lunar environment are discussed.

  13. Temperature regulates positively photoblastic seed germination in four ficus (moraceae) tree species from contrasting habitats in a seasonal tropical rainforest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hui; Cao, Min; Baskin, Jerry M; Baskin, Carol C

    2013-08-01

    Differences in seed germination responses of trees in tropical forests to temperature and light quality may contribute to their coexistence. We investigated the effects of temperature and red:far-red light (R:FR ratio) on seed germination of two gap-demanding species (Ficus hispida and F. racemosa) and two shade-tolerant species (F. altissima and F. auriculata) in a tropical seasonal rainforest in southwest China. A R:FR ratio gradient was created by filtering fluorescent light through polyester filters. Four temperature treatments were used to test the effect of temperature on seed germination of the four Ficus tree species across the R:FR gradient. Seeds of the four Ficus species were positively photoblastic. Seed germination of F. hispida and F. racemosa was not affected across the R:FR ratio gradient (0.25-1.19) at 25/35°C, but it was inhibited under low R:FR at 22/23°C. By contrast, germination percentages of F. altissima and F. auriculata were not inhibited along the entire light gradient in all temperature treatments. Differences in germination responses of Ficus species might contribute to differences in their habitat preferences. The inhibitory effect of understory temperatures in the forest might be a new mechanism that prevents positively photoblastic seeds of the gap-demanding species such as F. hispida and F. racemosa from germinating in the understory and in small canopy gaps.

  14. Lexan Linear Shaped Charge Holder with Magnets and Backing Plate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maples, Matthew W.; Dutton, Maureen L.; Hacker, Scott C.; Dean, Richard J.; Kidd, Nicholas; Long, Chris; Hicks, Robert C.

    2013-01-01

    A method was developed for cutting a fabric structural member in an inflatable module, without damaging the internal structure of the module, using linear shaped charge. Lexan and magnets are used in a charge holder to precisely position the linear shaped charge over the desired cut area. Two types of charge holders have been designed, each with its own backing plate. One holder cuts fabric straps in the vertical configuration, and the other charge holder cuts fabric straps in the horizontal configuration.

  15. Charge interaction between particle-laden fluid interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hui; Kirkwood, John; Lask, Mauricio; Fuller, Gerald

    2010-03-02

    Experiments are described where two oil/water interfaces laden with charged particles move at close proximity relative to one another. The particles on one of the interfaces were observed to be attracted toward the point of closest approach, forming a denser particle monolayer, while the particles on the opposite interface were repelled away from this point, forming a particle depletion zone. Such particle attraction/repulsion was observed even if one of the interfaces was free of particles. This phenomenon can be explained by the electrostatic interaction between the two interfaces, which causes surface charges (charged particles and ions) to redistribute in order to satisfy surface electric equipotential at each interface. In a forced particle oscillation experiment, we demonstrated the control of charged particle positions on the interface by manipulating charge interaction between interfaces.

  16. Charge Enhancement of Single-Stranded DNA in Negative Electrospray Ionization Using the Supercharging Reagent Meta-nitrobenzyl Alcohol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brahim, Bessem; Alves, Sandra; Cole, Richard B.; Tabet, Jean-Claude

    2013-12-01

    Charge enhancement of single-stranded oligonucleotide ions in negative ESI mode is investigated. The employed reagent, meta-nitrobenzyl alcohol (m-NBA), was found to improve total signal intensity (Itot), increase the highest observed charge states (zhigh), and raise the average charge states (zavg) of all tested oligonucleotides analyzed in negative ESI. To quantify these increases, signal enhancement ratios (SER1%) and charge enhancement coefficients (CEC1%) were introduced. The SER1%, (defined as the quotient of total oligonucleotide ion abundances with 1 % m-NBA divided by total oligonucleotide abundance without m-NBA) was found to be greater than unity for every oligonucleotide tested. The CEC1% values (defined as the average charge state in the presence of 1 % m-NBA minus the average charge state in the absence of m-NBA) were found to be uniformly positive. Upon close inspection, the degree of charge enhancement for longer oligonucleotides was found to be dependent upon thymine density (i.e., the number and the location of phospho-thymidine units). A correlation between the charge enhancement induced by the presence of m-NBA and the apparent gas-phase acidity (largely determined by the sequence of thymine units but also by the presence of protons on other nucleobases) of multiply deprotonated oligonucleotide species, was thus established. Ammonium cations appeared to be directly involved in the m-NBA supercharging mechanism, and their role seems to be consistent with previously postulated ESI mechanisms describing desorption/ionization of single-stranded DNA into the gas phase.

  17. Numerical modelling of needle-grid electrodes for negative surface corona charging system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhuang, Y; Chen, G; Rotaru, M

    2011-01-01

    Surface potential decay measurement is a simple and low cost tool to examine electrical properties of insulation materials. During the corona charging stage, a needle-grid electrodes system is often used to achieve uniform charge distribution on the surface of the sample. In this paper, a model using COMSOL Multiphysics has been developed to simulate the gas discharge. A well-known hydrodynamic drift-diffusion model was used. The model consists of a set of continuity equations accounting for the movement, generation and loss of charge carriers (electrons, positive and negative ions) coupled with Poisson's equation to take into account the effect of space and surface charges on the electric field. Four models with the grid electrode in different positions and several mesh sizes are compared with a model that only has the needle electrode. The results for impulse current and surface charge density on the sample clearly show the effect of the extra grid electrode with various positions.

  18. Modification of backgammon shape cathode and graded charge division readout method for a novel triple charge division centroid finding method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Javanmardi, F.; Matoba, M.; Sakae, T.

    1996-01-01

    Triple Charge Division (TCD) centroid finding method that uses modified pattern of Backgammon Shape Cathode (MBSC) is introduced for medium range length position sensitive detectors with optimum numbers of cathode segments. MBSC pattern has three separated areas and uses saw tooth like insulator gaps for separating the areas. Side areas of the MBSC pattern are severed by a central common area. Size of the central area is twice of the size of both sides. Whereas central area is the widest area among three, both sides' areas have the main role in position sensing. With the same resolution and linearity, active region of original Backgammon pattern increases twice by using MBSC pattern, and with the same length, linearity of TCD centroid finding is much better than Backgammon charge division readout method. Linearity prediction of TCD centroid finding and experimental results conducted us to find an optimum truncation of the apices of MBCS pattern in the central area. The TCD centroid finding has an especial readout method since charges must be collected from two segments in both sides and from three segments in the central area of MBSC pattern. The so called Graded Charge Division (GCD) is the especial readout method for TCD. The GCD readout is a combination of the charge division readout and sequence grading of serial segments. Position sensing with TCD centroid finding and GCD readout were done by two sizes MBSC patterns (200mm and 80mm) and Spatial resolution about 1% of the detector length is achieved

  19. Charged particle layers in the Debye limit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golden, Kenneth I; Kalman, Gabor J; Kyrkos, Stamatios

    2002-09-01

    We develop an equivalent of the Debye-Hückel weakly coupled equilibrium theory for layered classical charged particle systems composed of one single charged species. We consider the two most important configurations, the charged particle bilayer and the infinite superlattice. The approach is based on the link provided by the classical fluctuation-dissipation theorem between the random-phase approximation response functions and the Debye equilibrium pair correlation function. Layer-layer pair correlation functions, screened and polarization potentials, static structure functions, and static response functions are calculated. The importance of the perfect screening and compressibility sum rules in determining the overall behavior of the system, especially in the r--> infinity limit, is emphasized. The similarities and differences between the quasi-two-dimensional bilayer and the quasi-three-dimensional superlattice are highlighted. An unexpected behavior that emerges from the analysis is that the screened potential, the correlations, and the screening charges carried by the individual layers exhibit a marked nonmonotonic dependence on the layer separation.

  20. Charged particle layers in the Debye limit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golden, Kenneth I.; Kalman, Gabor J.; Kyrkos, Stamatios

    2002-01-01

    We develop an equivalent of the Debye-Hueckel weakly coupled equilibrium theory for layered classical charged particle systems composed of one single charged species. We consider the two most important configurations, the charged particle bilayer and the infinite superlattice. The approach is based on the link provided by the classical fluctuation-dissipation theorem between the random-phase approximation response functions and the Debye equilibrium pair correlation function. Layer-layer pair correlation functions, screened and polarization potentials, static structure functions, and static response functions are calculated. The importance of the perfect screening and compressibility sum rules in determining the overall behavior of the system, especially in the r→∞ limit, is emphasized. The similarities and differences between the quasi-two-dimensional bilayer and the quasi-three-dimensional superlattice are highlighted. An unexpected behavior that emerges from the analysis is that the screened potential, the correlations, and the screening charges carried by the individual layers exhibit a marked nonmonotonic dependence on the layer separation

  1. Charge collection in silicon strip detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kraner, H.W.; Beuttenmuller, R.; Ludlam, T.; Hanson, A.L.; Jones, K.W.; Radeka, V.; Heijne, E.H.M.

    1982-11-01

    The use of position sensitive silicon detectors as very high resolution tracking devices in high energy physics experiments has been a subject of intense development over the past few years. Typical applications call for the detection of minimum ionizing particles with position measurement accuracy of 10 μm in each detector plane. The most straightforward detector geometry is that in which one of the collecting electrodes is subdivided into closely spaced strips, giving a high degree of segmentation in one coordinate. Each strip may be read out as a separate detection element, or, alternatively, resistive and/or capacitive coupling between adjacent strips may be exploited to interpolate the position via charge division measrurements. With readout techniques that couple several strips, the numer of readout channels can, in principle, be reduced by large factors without sacrificing the intrinsic position accuracy. The testing of individual strip properties and charge division between strips has been carried out with minimum ionizing particles or beams for the most part except in one case which used alphs particless scans. This paper describes the use of a highly collimated MeV proton beam for studies of the position sensing properties of representative one dimensional strip detectors

  2. Effect of Fullerene Passivation on the Charging and Discharging Behavior of Perovskite Solar Cells: Reduction of Bound Charges and Ion Accumulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shih, Yen-Chen; Wang, Leeyih; Hsieh, Hsiao-Chi; Lin, King-Fu

    2018-04-11

    Ion accumulation of organometal halide perovskites (OHPs) induced by electrode polarization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under illumination has been intensely studied and associated with a widely observed current-voltage hysteresis behavior. This work is dedicated to the investigation of the behavior of charged species at the compact TiO 2 /OHP interface with respect to electrode polarization in PSC devices. By providing a comprehensive discussion of open-circuit voltage ( V OC ) buildup and V OC decay under illumination and in the dark for the PSCs modified with [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) at the TiO 2 /OHP interface and their corresponding electrochemical impedance spectroscopies (EISs), a justified mechanism is proposed attempting to elucidate the dynamics of interfacial species with respect to the time and frequency domains. Our results demonstrate that the retarded V OC buildup and decay observed in PSC devices are related to the formation of bound charges in TiO 2 , which is essential to neutralize the oppositely charged ions accumulating at the OHP side. Besides, inserting a thicker PCBM at the TiO 2 /OHP interface as a passivation layer can alleviate the electrode polarization more efficiently as verified by the low dielectric constant measured from EIS. Moreover, photoluminescence measurements indicate that PCBM at the TiO 2 /OHP interface is capable of passivating a trap state and improving charge transfer. However, with respect to the time scale investigated in this work, the reduction of the hysteresis behavior on a millisecond scale is more likely due to less bound charge formation at the interface rather than shallow trap-state passivation by PCBM. After all, this work comprehensively demonstrates the interfacial properties of PSCs associated with PCBM passivation and helps to further understand its impact on charging/discharging as well as device performance.

  3. The effect of desulfation of chondroitin sulfate on interactions with positively charged growth factors and upregulation of cartilaginous markers in encapsulated MSCs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Jeremy J; Temenoff, Johnna S

    2013-07-01

    Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are known to interact electrostatically with positively charged growth factors to modulate signaling. Therefore, regulating the degree of sulfation of GAGs may be a promising approach to tailor biomaterial carriers for controlled growth factor delivery and release. For this study, chondroitin sulfate (CS) was first desulfated to form chondroitin, and resulting crosslinked CS and chondroitin hydrogels were examined in vitro for release of positively charged model protein (histone) and for their effect on cartilaginous differentiation of encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Desulfation significantly increased the release of histone from chondroitin hydrogels (30.6 ± 2.3 μg released over 8 days, compared to natively sulfated CS with 20.2 ± 0.8 μg), suggesting that sulfation alone plays a significant role in modulating protein interactions with GAG hydrogels. MSCs in chondroitin hydrogels significantly upregulated gene expression of collagen II and aggrecan by day 21 in chondrogenic medium (115 ± 100 and 23.1 ± 7.9 fold upregulation of collagen II and aggrecan, respectively), compared to CS hydrogels and PEG-based swelling controls, indicating that desulfation may actually enhance the response of MSCs to soluble chondrogenic cues, such as TGF-β1. Thus, desulfated chondroitin materials present a promising biomaterial tool to further investigate electrostatic GAG/growth factor interactions, especially for repair of cartilaginous tissues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Designing your boron-charging system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, J.

    1979-01-01

    High-pressure positive-displacement pumps used in the boron-charging setups of pressurized-water (PWR) nuclear plants because of their inherently high efficiencies over a wide range of pressures and speeds are described. Hydrogen-saturated water containing 4-12% boric acid is fed to the pump from a volume-control tank under a gas blanket. Complicated piping and the pulsation difficulties associated with reciprocating pumps make hydrogen-saturated boron-charging systems a challenge to the designer. The article describes the unusual hydraulics of the systems to help assure a trouble-free design

  5. The use of charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage in polar organic light-emitting diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Züfle, Simon; Altazin, Stéphane; Hofmann, Alexander; Jäger, Lars; Neukom, Martin T.; Schmidt, Tobias D.; Brütting, Wolfgang; Ruhstaller, Beat

    2017-05-01

    We demonstrate the application of the CELIV (charge carrier extraction by linearly increasing voltage) technique to bilayer organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) in order to selectively determine the hole mobility in N,N0-bis(1-naphthyl)-N,N0-diphenyl-1,10-biphenyl-4,40-diamine (α-NPD). In the CELIV technique, mobile charges in the active layer are extracted by applying a negative voltage ramp, leading to a peak superimposed to the measured displacement current whose temporal position is related to the charge carrier mobility. In fully operating devices, however, bipolar carrier transport and recombination complicate the analysis of CELIV transients as well as the assignment of the extracted mobility value to one charge carrier species. This has motivated a new approach of fabricating dedicated metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) devices, where the extraction current contains signatures of only one charge carrier type. In this work, we show that the MIS-CELIV concept can be employed in bilayer polar OLEDs as well, which are easy to fabricate using most common electron transport layers (ETLs), like Tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3). Due to the macroscopic polarization of the ETL, holes are already injected into the hole transport layer below the built-in voltage and accumulate at the internal interface with the ETL. This way, by a standard CELIV experiment only holes will be extracted, allowing us to determine their mobility. The approach can be established as a powerful way of selectively measuring charge mobilities in new materials in a standard device configuration.

  6. Model for thickness dependence of radiation charging in MOS structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viswanathan, C. R.; Maserjian, J.

    1976-01-01

    The model considers charge buildup in MOS structures due to hole trapping in the oxide and the creation of sheet charge at the silicon interface. The contribution of hole trapping causes the flatband voltage to increase with thickness in a manner in which square and cube dependences are limiting cases. Experimental measurements on samples covering a 200 - 1000 A range of oxide thickness are consistent with the model, using independently obtained values of hole-trapping parameters. An important finding of our experimental results is that a negative interface charge contribution due to surface states created during irradiation compensates most of the positive charge in the oxide at flatband. The tendency of the surface states to 'track' the positive charge buildup in the oxide, for all thicknesses, applies both in creation during irradiation and in annihilation during annealing. An explanation is proposed based on the common defect origin of hole traps and potential surface states.

  7. Survey of ionic charge states of solar energetic particle events during the first year of ACE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moebius, E.; Popecki, M.A.; Morris, D.; Galvin, A.B.; Heirtzler, D.; Kistler, L.M.; Siren, C.; Klecker, B.; Bogdanov, A.T.; Hovestadt, D.; Mason, G.M.; Dwyer, J.R.; Stone, E.C.

    2000-01-01

    The ionic charge state distributions of solar energetic particle events are determined with ACE SEPICA on an event by event basis, over the time period from launch through the end of 1998. Because of the large geometric factor of SEPICA the observations can be extended to events with very low fluxes. The study is confined to the most abundant species O, Ne, Mg, and Fe. Mean charge states for Fe are observed to vary between ≅11 for CME related events and ≅20 for small events that carry signatures of impulsive events. For these events all elements up to Mg, appear almost fully ionized. The charge states of all species follow the same trend as that of Fe in their variation from event to event. A comparison of observed mean charge states with a model assuming thermal equilibrium shows a general agreement with temperatures ranging from 1.2-10·10 6 K. However, noticeable deviations from charge states at a unique temperature for all species are seen for O at high and for Mg at both high and low charge states, which may suggest the presence of other processes. A distinct correlation is observed between the charge states and the overabundance of heavy ions in comparison with O. It remains puzzling that events with substantial deviations from coronal abundance accelerate almost fully stripped ions, which do not lend themselves easily to fractionation processes based on mass and charge

  8. Resonance charge exchange processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duman, E.L.; Evseev, A.V.; Eletskij, A.V.; Radtsig, A.A.; Smirnov, B.M.

    1979-01-01

    The calculation results for the resonance charge exchange cross sections for positive and negative atomic and molecular ions are given. The calculations are performed on the basis of the asymptotic theory. The factors affecting the calculation accuracy are analysed. The calculation data for 28 systems are compared with the experiment

  9. Charge ratio of muons from atmospheric neutrinos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gaisser, T.K.; Stanev, Todor

    2003-05-22

    We calculate the intensities and angular distributions of positive and negative muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos. We comment on some sources of uncertainty in the charge ratio. We also draw attention to a potentially interesting signature of neutrino oscillations in the muon charge ratio, and we discuss the prospects for its observation (which are not quite within the reach of currently planned magnetized detectors)

  10. Positively charged gold nanoparticles capped with folate quaternary chitosan: Synthesis, cytotoxicity, and uptake by cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Hui-Ju; Young, Yen-An; Tsai, Tsung-Neng; Cheng, Kuang-Ming; Chen, Xin-An; Chen, Ying-Chuan; Chen, Cheng-Cheung; Young, Jenn-Jong; Hong, Po-da

    2018-03-01

    In this study, we synthesized various quaternary chitosan derivatives and used them to stabilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). These chitosan derivatives comprised N-(2-hydroxy)propyl-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC), folate-HTCC, galactosyl-HTCC, and their fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated derivatives. Various positively surface-charged AuNPs were prepared under alkaline conditions using glucose as a reducing agent in the presence of the HTCC derivatives (HTCCs). The effects of the concentration of NaOH, glucose, and HTCCs on the particles size, zeta potential, and stability were studied in detail. Cell cycle assays verify that none of the HTCCs or HTCCs-AuNPs was cytotoxic to human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the folate HTCC-AuNPs were internalized in Caco-2, HepG2, and HeLa cancer cells to a significantly greater extent than AuNPs without folate. But, galactosyl HTCC-AuNPs only showed high cell uptake by HepG2 cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Net charge fluctuations and local charge compensation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Jinghua

    2006-01-01

    We propose net charge fluctuation as a measure of local charge correlation length. It is demonstrated that, in terms of a schematic multiperipheral model, net charge fluctuation satisfies the same Quigg-Thomas relation as satisfied by charge transfer fluctuation. Net charge fluctuations measured in finite rapidity windows depend on both the local charge correlation length and the size of the observation window. When the observation window is larger than the local charge correlation length, the net charge fluctuation only depends on the local charge correlation length, while forward-backward charge fluctuations always have strong dependence on the observation window size. Net charge fluctuations and forward-backward charge fluctuations measured in the present heavy ion experiments show characteristic features similar to those from multiperipheral models. But the data cannot all be understood within this simple model

  12. Dynamical charge fluctuation at FAIR energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Somnath; Mukhopadhyay, Amitabha

    2015-01-01

    The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment to be held at the Facility for antiproton and ion research (FAIR) is being designed to investigate the baryonic matter under extreme thermodynamic conditions. The hot and dense matter produced in this experiment will be rich in baryon number. It would be worthwhile to examine how the signatures proposed for identifying and characterizing a baryon free QGP like state behave in a baryon rich environment. Event-by-event fluctuation of net electrical charge and/or baryon number is one such indicator of the formation of the QGP, used and tested in RHIC and LHC heavy-ion experiments. One starts by defining the net charge Q = (N + - N - ) and the total charge N ch = (N + + N - ) where the quantities N + and N - are respectively, the multiplicities of positively and negatively charged particles

  13. Microscopic studies of the fate of charges in organic semiconductors: Scanning Kelvin probe measurements of charge trapping, transport, and electric fields in p- and n-type devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smieska, Louisa Marion

    Organic semiconductors could have wide-ranging applications in lightweight, efficient electronic circuits. However, several fundamental questions regarding organic electronic device behavior have not yet been fully addressed, including the nature of chemical charge traps, and robust models for injection and transport. Many studies focus on engineering devices through bulk transport measurements, but it is not always possible to infer the microscopic behavior leading to the observed measurements. In this thesis, we present scanning-probe microscope studies of organic semiconductor devices in an effort to connect local properties with local device behavior. First, we study the chemistry of charge trapping in pentacene transistors. Working devices are doped with known pentacene impurities and the extent of charge trap formation is mapped across the transistor channel. Trap-clearing spectroscopy is employed to measure an excitation of the pentacene charge trap species, enabling identification of the degradationrelated chemical trap in pentacene. Second, we examine transport and trapping in peryelene diimide (PDI) transistors. Local mobilities are extracted from surface potential profiles across a transistor channel, and charge injection kinetics are found to be highly sensitive to electrode cleanliness. Trap-clearing spectra generally resemble PDI absorption spectra, but one derivative yields evidence indicating variation in trap-clearing mechanisms for different surface chemistries. Trap formation rates are measured and found to be independent of surface chemistry, contradicting a proposed silanol trapping mechanism. Finally, we develop a variation of scanning Kelvin probe microscopy that enables measurement of electric fields through a position modulation. This method avoids taking a numeric derivative of potential, which can introduce high-frequency noise into the electric field signal. Preliminary data is presented, and the theoretical basis for electric field

  14. Gain measurements of the Ca-Xe charge exchange system. [for UV lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michels, C. J.; Chubb, D. L.

    1978-01-01

    Charge-exchange-pumped Ca(+) was studied for possible positive laser gain at 370.6 and 315.9 nm using an Xe MPD arc as the Xe(+) source. The present paper describes the MPD arc, the calcium injection system, the diagnostics for gain, and spontaneous emission measurements and results. No positive gain measurements were observed. A small Xe-Ca charge exchange cross section compared to He-metal laser systems charge exchange cross sections is the most probable reason why the result was negative.

  15. Mixtures of Charged Bosons Confined in Harmonic Traps and Bose-Einstein Condensation Mechanism for Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions and Transmutation Processes in Condensed Matters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yeong E.; Zubarev, Alexander L.

    2006-02-01

    A mixture of two different species of positively charged bosons in harmonic traps is considered in the mean-field approximation. It is shown that depending on the ratio of parameters, the two components may coexist in same regions of space, in spite of the Coulomb repulsion between the two species. Application of this result is discussed for the generalization of the Bose-Einstein condensation mechanism for low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) and transmutation processes in condensed matters. For the case of deutron-lithium (d + Li) LENR, the result indicates that (d + 6Li) reactions may dominate over (d + d) reactions in LENR experiments.

  16. Process for first charge of gas cooled nuclear reactors with fuel elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bromkamp, K.H.; Daoud, H.; Engelhardt, K.; Hantke, H.J.

    1979-01-01

    The charging of the THTR-300 takes place continuously via three positions in the inner zone and 12 positions in the outer zone. The inner and outer zone are charged alternately. The size of the charging step is chosen so that the mixing zone formed between the two zones does not exceed a given width. The reflector rods are driven out during the whole fuelling process and the core rods are driven into the core. The charging always takes place in the sub-critical condition, where the degree of sub-criticality is checked by measurement of the inverse multiplication factor after each fuelling step. (DG) [de

  17. Study on Mo(V) species, location and adsorbates interactions in MoH-SAPO-34 by employing ESR and electron spin-echo modulation spectroscopies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Back, Gern Ho; Jang, Chang Ki; Ru, Chang Kuk; Cho, Young Hwan; So, Hyun Soo; Larry, Keven

    2002-01-01

    A solid-state reaction of MoO 3 with as-synthesized H-SAPO-34 generated paramagnetic Mo(V) species. The dehydration resulted in weak Mo(V) species, and subsequent activation resulted in the formation of Mo(V) species such as Mo(V) 5c and Mo(V) 6c that are characterized by ESR. The data of ESR and ESEM show the oxomolybdenum species, to be (MoO 2 ) + or (MoO) 3+ . The (MoO 2 ) + species seems to be more probable. Since H-SAPO-34 has a low framework negative charge, (MoO) 3+ with a high positive charge can not be easily stabilized. A solution reaction between the solution of silico-molybdic acid and calcined H-SAPO-34 resulted in only MoO + 2 species. A rhombic ESR signal is observed on adsorption of D 2 O, CD 3 OH, CH 3 CH 2 OD and ND 3 . The Location and coordination structure of Mo(V) species has been determined by three-pulse electron spin-echo modulation data and their simulations. After the adsorption of methanol, ethylene, ammonia, and water for MoH-SAPO-34, three molecules, one and one molecule, respectively, are directly coordinated to (MoO 2 ) +

  18. Novel use of positively charged nylon transfer membranes for trapping indoleacetic acid or other small anions during efflux from plant tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, M. L.; Hangarter, R. P.

    1993-01-01

    Positively charged nylon blotting membranes were used as an anion binding medium to trap [14C]indoleactic acid (IAA) as it exited cells at the basal ends of Coleus blumei L. stem and Zea mays L. coleoptile segments. Autoradiography was used to visualize where the [14C] that moved out of the cut ends was localized on the nylon membrane. Diffusion of [14C]IAA from the initial point of contact with the nylon membrane was minimal. Comparison of the autoradiograms with anatomical tissue prints of the cut ends of the segments was used to determine what tissues participate in IAA movement. The results of these initial studies were consistent with other reports suggesting that [14C]IAA movement was primarily associated with vascular tissues in both C. blumei stems and corn coleoptiles, but the resolution was not sufficient to identify which vascular tissues were involved in IAA transport. With further refinements, this technique could also be used for studying the movement of other small charged molecules through plant tissues.

  19. Study of Doubly Charged Delta Baryons in Collisions of Copper Nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-05-22

    connecting the three quarks. Composite particles composed of partons are known as “hadrons” and must have a neutral color charge. There are six... neutral charge of neutrons. The up quark has positive charge equivalent to two-thirds the charge of an electron, and the down quark has negative...known as “heavy ions.” An ion is an atom or molecule with net electric charge, bare nuclei have a large positive charge due to the absence of

  20. Positively charged polysilsesquioxane/iodide lonic liquid as a quasi solid-state redox electrolyte for dye-sensitized photo electrochemical cells: infrared, 29 Si NMR, and electrical studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A new sol-gel precursor based on 1-methyl-3-[3-(trimethoxy- λ 4 -silylpropyl]-1 H -imidazolium iodide (MTMSPI + I − was synthesized and investigated as a potential novel quasi solid-state ionic liquid redox electrolyte for dye-synthesized photoelectrochemical (DSPEC cells of the Graetzel type. MTMSPI + I − was hydrolyzed with acidified water and the reaction products of the sol-gel condensation reactions assessed with the help of 29 Si NMR and infrared spectroscopic techniques. Results of the time-dependent spectra analyses showed the formation of positively charged polyhedral cube-like silsesquioxane species that still contained a small amount of silanol end groups, which were removed after heating at 200 ° C . After cooling, the resulting material formed is a tough, yellowish, and transparent solid, which could be reheated again and used for assembling DSPEC cells. The addition of iodine increased the specific conductivity of the hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed MTMSPI + I − , which we attributed to the formation of triiodide ions contributed to the conductivity via the Grotthus mechanism. DSPEC cells based on a titania-dye system with MTMSPI + I − electrolyte containing iodine (0.1 M reached an overall efficiency between 3.3–3.7%.

  1. Redesign of negatively charged 111In-DTPA-octreotide derivative to reduce renal radioactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oshima, Nobuhiro; Akizawa, Hiromichi; Kawashima, Hidekazu; Zhao, Songji; Zhao, Yan; Nishijima, Ken-Ichi; Kitamura, Yoji; Arano, Yasushi; Kuge, Yuji; Ohkura, Kazue

    2017-05-01

    Radiolabeled octreotide derivatives have been studied as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for somatostatin receptor-positive tumors. To prevent unnecessary radiation exposure during their clinical application, the present study aimed to develop radiolabeled peptides which could reduce radioactivity levels in the kidney at both early and late post-injection time points by introducing a negative charge with an acidic amino acid such as L-aspartic acid (Asp) at a suitable position in 111 In-DTPA-conjugated octreotide derivatives. Biodistribution of the radioactivity was evaluated in normal mice after administration of a novel radiolabeled peptide by a counting method. The radiolabeled species remaining in the kidney were identified by comparing their HPLC data with those obtained by alternative synthesis. The designed and synthesized radiolabeled peptide 111 In-DTPA-d-Phe -1 -Asp 0 -d-Phe 1 -octreotide exhibited significantly lower renal radioactivity levels than those of the known 111 In-DTPA-d-Phe 1 -octreotide at 3 and 24h post-injection. The radiolabeled species in the kidney at 24h after the injection of new octreotide derivative represented 111 In-DTPA-d-Phe-OH and 111 In-DTPA-d-Phe-Asp-OH as the metabolites. Their radiometabolites and intact 111 In-DTPA-conjugated octreotide derivative were observed in urine within 24h post-injection. The present study provided a new example of an 111 In-DTPA-conjugated octreotide derivative having the characteristics of both reduced renal uptake and shortened residence time of radioactivity in the kidney. It is considered that this kinetic control was achieved by introducing a negative charge on the octreotide derivative thereby suppressing the reabsorption in the renal tubules and affording the radiometabolites with appropriate lipophilicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Redesign of negatively charged 111In-DTPA-octreotide derivative to reduce renal radioactivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oshima, Nobuhiro; Akizawa, Hiromichi; Kawashima, Hidekazu; Zhao, Songji; Zhao, Yan; Nishijima, Ken-ichi; Kitamura, Yoji; Arano, Yasushi; Kuge, Yuji; Ohkura, Kazue

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Radiolabeled octreotide derivatives have been studied as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for somatostatin receptor-positive tumors. To prevent unnecessary radiation exposure during their clinical application, the present study aimed to develop radiolabeled peptides which could reduce radioactivity levels in the kidney at both early and late post-injection time points by introducing a negative charge with an acidic amino acid such as L-aspartic acid (Asp) at a suitable position in 111 In-DTPA-conjugated octreotide derivatives. Methods: Biodistribution of the radioactivity was evaluated in normal mice after administration of a novel radiolabeled peptide by a counting method. The radiolabeled species remaining in the kidney were identified by comparing their HPLC data with those obtained by alternative synthesis. Results: The designed and synthesized radiolabeled peptide 111 In-DTPA-D-Phe −1 -Asp 0 -D-Phe 1 -octreotide exhibited significantly lower renal radioactivity levels than those of the known 111 In-DTPA-D-Phe 1 -octreotide at 3 and 24 h post-injection. The radiolabeled species in the kidney at 24 h after the injection of new octreotide derivative represented 111 In-DTPA-D-Phe-OH and 111 In-DTPA-D-Phe-Asp-OH as the metabolites. Their radiometabolites and intact 111 In-DTPA-conjugated octreotide derivative were observed in urine within 24 h post-injection. Conclusion: The present study provided a new example of an 111 In-DTPA-conjugated octreotide derivative having the characteristics of both reduced renal uptake and shortened residence time of radioactivity in the kidney. It is considered that this kinetic control was achieved by introducing a negative charge on the octreotide derivative thereby suppressing the reabsorption in the renal tubules and affording the radiometabolites with appropriate lipophilicity.

  3. 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.

  4. On measurement of charge behavior with super high velocity formed in semiconductor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirao, Toshio; Sakai, Takuro; Hamano, Tsuyoshi; Nashiyama, Isamu [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment; Nemoto, Norio; Matsuda, Sumio

    1996-12-01

    The basic process of single event phenomenon of the semiconductor element consists of formation of electron and positive hole pair due to penetration of incident particle and collection of small number of carrier into pn-junction added with inverse bias. This collecting process has a rapid process of about 200 ps and a late process reaching to some nanoseconds. And, it is an important problem to develop radiation resistant element of superconducting element usable for the space environment to acquire single event parameter by directly observing charge collection using pn-junction diode constructing basic structure of the semiconductor element. At present, an experiment on the single event phenomenon in actual device is executed by using cyclotron of TIARA irradiation facility in Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment, JAERI. On the other hand, the experiments on mechanism elucidation of the single event phenomenon and so on are conducting by using heavy ion microbeam installed at tandem accelerator. As an experiment result measured high speed charge collection on irradiating the heavy ion microbeam into the semiconductor element, following items were found: (1) The single event transient current waveform becomes high in its peak and many in collected charge with magnitude of LET, (2) rise of the transient current waveform formed in each ion specie shows a shift to long time side with increase of LET, and so forth. (G.K.)

  5. Computational investigation of the effects of perfluorination on the charge-transport properties of polyaromatic hydrocarbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardia, R.; Malloci, G.; Bosin, A.; Serra, G.; Cappellini, G.

    2016-01-01

    We present a systematic computational study of the effects of perfluorination on the charge-transport properties of three homologous classes of polyaromatic hydrocarbons of interest for molecular electronics: acenes, pyrenes, and circumacenes. By means of Density Functional Theory calculations we first obtained the key molecular properties for transport of both holes and electrons. We then used these parameters in the framework of Marcus theory to compare charge-transfer rates in the high temperatures regime for both unsubstituted and perfluorinated molecules. We additionally estimated the relative charge-mobility of each unsubstituted (perfluorinated) molecule with respect to unsubstituted (perfluorinated) pentacene. We found in all cases that perfluorination reduces the charge-transfer rate in absolute terms. This is largely due to the higher values of the molecular reorganization energies predicted for perfluorinated compounds. Interestingly, however, the charge-transfer rates for both holes and electrons of perfluorinated species are remarkably similar, especially for the larger species. In addition, in the case of the larger circumacenes the charge-mobility values relative to pentacene values are found to increase upon perfluorination.

  6. Computational investigation of the effects of perfluorination on the charge-transport properties of polyaromatic hydrocarbons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardia, R. [Università degli studi di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Fisica, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari) (Italy); Istituto Officina dei Materiali (CNR – IOM), UOS di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato, Cagliari (Italy); Malloci, G., E-mail: giuliano.malloci@dsf.unica.it [Università degli studi di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Fisica, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari) (Italy); Bosin, A.; Serra, G. [Università degli studi di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Fisica, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari) (Italy); Cappellini, G., E-mail: giancarlo.cappellini@dsf.unica.it [Università degli studi di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Fisica, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari) (Italy); Istituto Officina dei Materiali (CNR – IOM), UOS di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato, Cagliari (Italy)

    2016-10-20

    We present a systematic computational study of the effects of perfluorination on the charge-transport properties of three homologous classes of polyaromatic hydrocarbons of interest for molecular electronics: acenes, pyrenes, and circumacenes. By means of Density Functional Theory calculations we first obtained the key molecular properties for transport of both holes and electrons. We then used these parameters in the framework of Marcus theory to compare charge-transfer rates in the high temperatures regime for both unsubstituted and perfluorinated molecules. We additionally estimated the relative charge-mobility of each unsubstituted (perfluorinated) molecule with respect to unsubstituted (perfluorinated) pentacene. We found in all cases that perfluorination reduces the charge-transfer rate in absolute terms. This is largely due to the higher values of the molecular reorganization energies predicted for perfluorinated compounds. Interestingly, however, the charge-transfer rates for both holes and electrons of perfluorinated species are remarkably similar, especially for the larger species. In addition, in the case of the larger circumacenes the charge-mobility values relative to pentacene values are found to increase upon perfluorination.

  7. Transformational leadership training programme for charge nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duygulu, Sergul; Kublay, Gulumser

    2011-03-01

    This paper is a report of an evaluation of the effects of a transformational leadership training programme on Unit Charge Nurses' leadership practices. Current healthcare regulations in the European Union and accreditation efforts of hospitals for their services mandate transformation in healthcare services in Turkey. Therefore, the transformational leadership role of nurse managers is vital in determining and achieving long-term goals in this process. The sample consisted of 30 Unit Charge Nurses with a baccalaureate degree and 151 observers at two university hospitals in Turkey. Data were collected using the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self and Observer (applied four times during a 14-month study process from December 2005 to January 2007). The transformational leadership training programme had theoretical (14 hours) and individual study (14 hours) in five sections. Means, standard deviations and percentages, repeated measure tests and two-way factor analysis were used for analysis. According the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self and Observer ratings, leadership practices increased statistically significantly with the implementation of the programme. There were no significant differences between groups in age, length of time in current job and current position. The Unit Charge Nurses Leadership Practices Inventory self-ratings were significantly higher than those of the observers. There is a need to develop similar programmes to improve the leadership skills of Unit Charge Nurses, and to make it mandatory for nurses assigned to positions of Unit Charge Nurse to attend this kind of leadership programme. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Modeling charge transport properties of cyano-substituted PPV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correia, Helena M.G.; Ramos, Marta M.D.

    2003-01-01

    In recent years, poly (p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) and its derivatives have attracted much interest due to their applications in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One of the issues that determine device performance is the transport of charge carriers along the polymer strands. For that reason, we investigate the influence of cyano substitution on geometry and electronic behaviour of PPV chains using self-consistent quantum molecular dynamics simulations. Our results suggest that substitution by cyano groups induce distortion in the PPV chains and a charge rearrangement among the polymer atoms. Specifically addressed is the issue concerning estimates of charge (electron and hole) mobility by computer experiments. Significant differences have been found both in the strength of the electric field needed to move positive and negative charge carriers along the polymer chain as well as in charge mobility

  9. Describing long-range charge-separation processes with subsystem density-functional theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solovyeva, Alisa; Neugebauer, Johannes, E-mail: j.neugebauer@uni-muenster.de [Theoretische Organische Chemie, Organisch-Chemisches Institut and Center for Multiscale Theory and Simulation, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 40, 48149 Münster (Germany); Pavanello, Michele, E-mail: m.pavanello@rutgers.edu [Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 73 Warren St., Newark, New Jersey 07102 (United States)

    2014-04-28

    Long-range charge-transfer processes in extended systems are difficult to describe with quantum chemical methods. In particular, cost-effective (non-hybrid) approximations within time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) are not applicable unless special precautions are taken. Here, we show that the efficient subsystem DFT can be employed as a constrained DFT variant to describe the energetics of long-range charge-separation processes. A formal analysis of the energy components in subsystem DFT for such excitation energies is presented, which demonstrates that both the distance dependence and the long-range limit are correctly described. In addition, electronic couplings for these processes as needed for rate constants in Marcus theory can be obtained from this method. It is shown that the electronic structure of charge-separated states constructed by a positively charged subsystem interacting with a negatively charged one is difficult to converge — charge leaking from the negative subsystem to the positive one can occur. This problem is related to the delocalization error in DFT and can be overcome with asymptotically correct exchange–correlation (XC) potentials or XC potentials including a sufficiently large amount of exact exchange. We also outline an approximate way to obtain charge-transfer couplings between locally excited and charge-separated states.

  10. Describing long-range charge-separation processes with subsystem density-functional theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solovyeva, Alisa; Neugebauer, Johannes; Pavanello, Michele

    2014-01-01

    Long-range charge-transfer processes in extended systems are difficult to describe with quantum chemical methods. In particular, cost-effective (non-hybrid) approximations within time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) are not applicable unless special precautions are taken. Here, we show that the efficient subsystem DFT can be employed as a constrained DFT variant to describe the energetics of long-range charge-separation processes. A formal analysis of the energy components in subsystem DFT for such excitation energies is presented, which demonstrates that both the distance dependence and the long-range limit are correctly described. In addition, electronic couplings for these processes as needed for rate constants in Marcus theory can be obtained from this method. It is shown that the electronic structure of charge-separated states constructed by a positively charged subsystem interacting with a negatively charged one is difficult to converge — charge leaking from the negative subsystem to the positive one can occur. This problem is related to the delocalization error in DFT and can be overcome with asymptotically correct exchange–correlation (XC) potentials or XC potentials including a sufficiently large amount of exact exchange. We also outline an approximate way to obtain charge-transfer couplings between locally excited and charge-separated states

  11. Percolative transport in the vicinity of charge-order ferromagnetic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    field driven charge transport in the system is modelled on the basis of an inhomogeneous medium consisting of ... The charge-ordered phase for incommensurate distribution of man- ganese ions (i.e. ... position x = 0.35 measured in a constant voltage mode. The electric ... a drop in resistance on decreasing the temperature.

  12. Dressed ion theory of size-asymmetric electrolytes: effective ionic charges and the decay length of screened Coulomb potential and pair correlations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsberg, Björn; Ulander, Johan; Kjellander, Roland

    2005-02-08

    The effects of ionic size asymmetry on long-range electrostatic interactions in electrolyte solutions are investigated within the primitive model. Using the formalism of dressed ion theory we analyze correlation functions from Monte Carlo simulations and the hypernetted chain approximation for size asymmetric 1:1 electrolytes. We obtain decay lengths of the screened Coulomb potential, effective charges of ions, and effective permittivity of the solution. It is found that the variation of these quantities with the degree of size asymmetry depends in a quite intricate manner on the interplay between the electrostatic coupling and excluded volume effects. In most cases the magnitude of the effective charge of the small ion species is larger than that of the large species; the difference increases with increasing size asymmetry. The effective charges of both species are larger (in absolute value) than the bare ionic charge, except for high asymmetry where the effective charge of the large ions can become smaller than the bare charge.

  13. Utilities Power Change: Engaging Commercial Customers in Workplace Charging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lommele, Stephen; Dafoe, Wendy

    2016-06-01

    As stewards of an electric grid that is available almost anywhere people park, utilities that support workplace charging are uniquely positioned to help their commercial customers be a part of the rapidly expanding network of charging infrastructure. Utilities understand the distinctive challenges of their customers, have access to technical information about electrical infrastructure, and have deep experience modeling and managing demand for electricity. This case study highlights the experiences of two utilities with workplace charging programs.

  14. Overcoming the Cut-Off Charge Transfer Bandgaps at the PbS Quantum Dot Interface

    KAUST Repository

    El-Ballouli, Ala'a O.

    2015-11-17

    Light harvesting from large size of semiconductor PbS quantum dots (QDs) with a bandgap of less than 1 eV is one of the greatest challenges precluding the development of PbS QD-based solar cells because the interfacial charge transfer (CT) from such QDs to the most commonly used electron acceptor materials is very inefficient, if it occurs at all. Thus, an alternative electron-accepting unit with a new driving force for CT is urgently needed to harvest the light from large-sized PbS QDs. Here, a cationic porphyrin is utilized as a new electron acceptor unit with unique features that bring the donor–acceptor components into close molecular proximity, allowing ultrafast and efficient electron transfer for QDs of all sizes, as inferred from the drastic photoluminescence quenching and the ultrafast formation of the porphyrin anionic species. The time-resolved results clearly demonstrate the possibility of modulating the electron transfer process between PbS QDs and porphyrin moieties not only by the size quantization effect but also by the interfacial electrostatic interaction between the positively charged porphyrin and the negatively charged QDs. This approach provides a new pathway for engineering QD-based solar cells that make the best use of the diverse photons making up the Sun\\'s broad irradiance spectrum.

  15. Overcoming the Cut-Off Charge Transfer Bandgaps at the PbS Quantum Dot Interface

    KAUST Repository

    El-Ballouli, Ala'a O.; Alarousu, Erkki; Kirmani, Ahmad R.; Amassian, Aram; Bakr, Osman; Mohammed, Omar F.

    2015-01-01

    Light harvesting from large size of semiconductor PbS quantum dots (QDs) with a bandgap of less than 1 eV is one of the greatest challenges precluding the development of PbS QD-based solar cells because the interfacial charge transfer (CT) from such QDs to the most commonly used electron acceptor materials is very inefficient, if it occurs at all. Thus, an alternative electron-accepting unit with a new driving force for CT is urgently needed to harvest the light from large-sized PbS QDs. Here, a cationic porphyrin is utilized as a new electron acceptor unit with unique features that bring the donor–acceptor components into close molecular proximity, allowing ultrafast and efficient electron transfer for QDs of all sizes, as inferred from the drastic photoluminescence quenching and the ultrafast formation of the porphyrin anionic species. The time-resolved results clearly demonstrate the possibility of modulating the electron transfer process between PbS QDs and porphyrin moieties not only by the size quantization effect but also by the interfacial electrostatic interaction between the positively charged porphyrin and the negatively charged QDs. This approach provides a new pathway for engineering QD-based solar cells that make the best use of the diverse photons making up the Sun's broad irradiance spectrum.

  16. Spin properties of charged Mn-doped quantum dota)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Besombes, L.; Léger, Y.; Maingault, L.; Mariette, H.

    2007-04-01

    The optical properties of individual quantum dots doped with a single Mn atom and charged with a single carrier are analyzed. The emission of the neutral, negatively and positively charged excitons coupled with a single magnetic atom (Mn) are observed in the same individual quantum dot. The spectrum of the charged excitons in interaction with the Mn atom shows a rich pattern attributed to a strong anisotropy of the hole-Mn exchange interaction slightly perturbed by a small valence-band mixing. The anisotropy in the exchange interaction between a single magnetic atom and a single hole is revealed by comparing the emission of a charged Mn-doped quantum dot in longitudinal and transverse magnetic field.

  17. The role of surface charge on the uptake and biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with osteoblast cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen Liang; Mccrate, Joseph M; Li Hao [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States); Lee, James C-M, E-mail: liha@missouri.edu [Department of Biological Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States)

    2011-03-11

    The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles with different surface charges on the cellular uptake behavior and in vitro cell viability and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cell lines (osteoblast). The nanoparticles' surface charge was varied by surface modification with two carboxylic acids: 12-aminododecanoic acid (positive) and dodecanedioic acid (negative). The untreated HAP nanoparticles and dodecanoic acid modified HAP nanoparticles (neutral) were used as the control. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that surface modifications by the three carboxylic acids did not change the crystal structure of HAP nanoparticles; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the adsorption and binding of the carboxylic acids on the HAP nanoparticles' surfaces; and zeta potential measurement confirmed that the chemicals successfully modified the surface charge of HAP nanoparticles in water based solution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that positively charged, negatively charged and untreated HAP nanoparticles, with similar size and shape, all penetrated into the cells and cells had more uptake of HAP nanoparticles with positive charge compared to those with negative charge, which might be attributed to the attractive or repulsive interaction between the negatively charged cell membrane and positively/negatively charged HAP nanoparticles. The neutral HAP nanoparticles could not penetrate the cell membrane due to their larger size. MTT assay and LDH assay results indicated that as compared with the polystyrene control, greater cell viability and cell proliferation were measured on MC3T3-E1 cells treated with the three kinds of HAP nanoparticles (neutral, positive, and untreated), among which positively charged HAP nanoparticles showed the strongest improvement for cell viability and cell proliferation. In summary, the surface charge of HAP nanoparticles can be modified to influence the cellular

  18. The role of surface charge on the uptake and biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with osteoblast cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Liang; Mccrate, Joseph M; Li Hao; Lee, James C-M

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles with different surface charges on the cellular uptake behavior and in vitro cell viability and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cell lines (osteoblast). The nanoparticles' surface charge was varied by surface modification with two carboxylic acids: 12-aminododecanoic acid (positive) and dodecanedioic acid (negative). The untreated HAP nanoparticles and dodecanoic acid modified HAP nanoparticles (neutral) were used as the control. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that surface modifications by the three carboxylic acids did not change the crystal structure of HAP nanoparticles; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the adsorption and binding of the carboxylic acids on the HAP nanoparticles' surfaces; and zeta potential measurement confirmed that the chemicals successfully modified the surface charge of HAP nanoparticles in water based solution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that positively charged, negatively charged and untreated HAP nanoparticles, with similar size and shape, all penetrated into the cells and cells had more uptake of HAP nanoparticles with positive charge compared to those with negative charge, which might be attributed to the attractive or repulsive interaction between the negatively charged cell membrane and positively/negatively charged HAP nanoparticles. The neutral HAP nanoparticles could not penetrate the cell membrane due to their larger size. MTT assay and LDH assay results indicated that as compared with the polystyrene control, greater cell viability and cell proliferation were measured on MC3T3-E1 cells treated with the three kinds of HAP nanoparticles (neutral, positive, and untreated), among which positively charged HAP nanoparticles showed the strongest improvement for cell viability and cell proliferation. In summary, the surface charge of HAP nanoparticles can be modified to influence the cellular uptake of

  19. Electrostatic charging and levitation of helium II drops

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niemela, J.J.

    1997-01-01

    Liquid Helium II drops, of diameter 1 mm or less, are charged with positive helium ions and subsequently levitated by static electric fields. Stable levitation was achieved for drops of order 100-150 micrometers in diameter. The suspended drops could be translated to arbitrary positions within the levitator using additional superimposed DC electric fields, and also could be made to oscillate stably about their average positions by means of an applied time-varying electric field. A weak corona discharge was used to produce the necessary ions for levitation. A novel superfluid film flow device, developed for the controlled deployment of large charged drops, is described. Also discussed is an adjustable electric fountain that requires only a field emission tip operating at modest potentials, and works in both Helium I and Helium II

  20. Electrostatic charges generated on aerosolisation of dispersions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yanyang

    2001-01-01

    In responding to the international community's agreement of phasing out chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants by the year 2000, hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) has been chosen to replace CFCs. Intensive investigations related to the new propellant products have been carried out. Aerosol electrostatics is one of the topics investigated. To understand and subsequently control the charging processes is the motive of the research reported here. To help elucidate the complex charging process occurring naturally during atomization of liquids from pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs), it has been broken down into a sequence of related, simpler sub processes-drop charging, streaming current charging (coarse spray), splashing charging and fine spray charging. Our initial studies are of single drops forming at and breaking away from the tips of capillary tubes. The drop forming processes are so slow that any hydrodynamic effect can be dismissed. Then the charge on the drop is measured. It is found that the charge on water drops is always negative (∼ 10 -14 C) at field-free condition and the magnitude of the charge increases as the drop size increases and the surrounding tube diameter decreases. With salt solutions, the charge on drops is negative at dilute solutions, decreases in magnitude as the concentration of electrolytes increases and finally reverses the sign of charge at approximately 1 M - drop charge becomes positive. All these experimental results can be explained in terms of contact potential between liquid and the inner wall of the capillary, which sets up an electric field between the pendant drop and the surrounding tube. Then computational simulation work is carried out and the data are compared with experimental results. It is found that the computer simulation data are in accord with experimental observations. This is a potential method to measure absolute potential difference between a liquid and a solid. Secondly, the hydrodynamic processes are investigated

  1. In vitro activities of dalbavancin and nine comparator agents against anaerobic gram-positive species and corynebacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, Ellie J C; Citron, Diane M; Merriam, C Vreni; Warren, Yumi; Tyrrell, Kerin; Fernandez, Helen T

    2003-06-01

    Dalbavancin is a novel semisynthetic glycopeptide with enhanced activity against gram-positive species. Its comparative in vitro activities and those of nine comparator agents, including daptomycin, vancomycin, linezolid, and quinupristin-dalfopristin, against 290 recent gram-positive clinical isolates strains, as determined by the NCCLS agar dilution method, were studied. The MICs of dalbavancin at which 90% of various isolates tested were inhibited were as follows: Actinomyces spp., 0.5 microg/ml; Clostridium clostridioforme, 8 microg/ml; C. difficile, 0.25 microg/ml; C. innocuum, 0.25 microg/ml; C. perfringens, 0.125 microg/ml; C. ramosum, 1 microg/ml; Eubacterium spp., 1 microg/ml; Lactobacillus spp., >32 microg/ml, Propionibacterium spp., 0.5 microg/ml; and Peptostreptococcus spp., 0.25 microg/ml. Dalbavancin was 1 to 3 dilutions more active than vancomycin against most strains. Dalbavancin exhibited excellent activity against gram-positive strains tested and warrants clinical evaluation.

  2. Charged dopants in neutral supercells through substitutional donor (acceptor): nitrogen donor charging of the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Löfgren, Robin; Pawar, Ravinder; Öberg, Sven; Larsson, J. Andreas

    2018-02-01

    Charged defects are traditionally computed by adding (subtracting) electrons for negative (positive) impurities. When using periodic boundary conditions this results in artificially charged supercells that also require a compensating background charge of the opposite sign, which makes slab supercells problematic because of an arbitrary dependence on the vacuum thickness. In this work, we test the method of using neutral supercells through the use of a substitutional electron donor (acceptor) to describe charged systems. We use density functional theory (DFT) to compare the effects of charging the well-studied NV-center in diamond by a substitutional donor nitrogen. We investigate the influence of the donor-N on the NV-center properties as a function of the distance between them, and find that they converge toward those obtained when adding an electron. We analyze the spin density and conclude that the donor-N has a zero magnetic moment, and thus, will not be seen in electron spin resonance. We validate our DFT energies through comparison to GW simulations. Charging the NV-center with a substitutional donor-N enables accurate calculations of slabs, without the ambiguity of using charged supercells. Implantation of donor-N atoms opens up the possibility to engineer NV-centers with the desired charge state for future ICT and sensor applications.

  3. Galvanic Cells: Anodes, Cathodes, Signs and Charges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin, Alan

    2011-01-01

    Electrochemistry is a difficult subject for students at school and beyond and even for their teachers. This article explores the difficult "truth" that, when a current flows from a galvanic cell, positive ions within the cell electrolyte move towards the electrode labelled positive. This seems to contravene the basic rule that like charges repel…

  4. Variational multiscale models for charge transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Guo-Wei; Zheng, Qiong; Chen, Zhan; Xia, Kelin

    2012-01-01

    This work presents a few variational multiscale models for charge transport in complex physical, chemical and biological systems and engineering devices, such as fuel cells, solar cells, battery cells, nanofluidics, transistors and ion channels. An essential ingredient of the present models, introduced in an earlier paper (Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 72, 1562-1622, 2010), is the use of differential geometry theory of surfaces as a natural means to geometrically separate the macroscopic domain from the microscopic domain, meanwhile, dynamically couple discrete and continuum descriptions. Our main strategy is to construct the total energy functional of a charge transport system to encompass the polar and nonpolar free energies of solvation, and chemical potential related energy. By using the Euler-Lagrange variation, coupled Laplace-Beltrami and Poisson-Nernst-Planck (LB-PNP) equations are derived. The solution of the LB-PNP equations leads to the minimization of the total free energy, and explicit profiles of electrostatic potential and densities of charge species. To further reduce the computational complexity, the Boltzmann distribution obtained from the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation is utilized to represent the densities of certain charge species so as to avoid the computationally expensive solution of some Nernst-Planck (NP) equations. Consequently, the coupled Laplace-Beltrami and Poisson-Boltzmann-Nernst-Planck (LB-PBNP) equations are proposed for charge transport in heterogeneous systems. A major emphasis of the present formulation is the consistency between equilibrium LB-PB theory and non-equilibrium LB-PNP theory at equilibrium. Another major emphasis is the capability of the reduced LB-PBNP model to fully recover the prediction of the LB-PNP model at non-equilibrium settings. To account for the fluid impact on the charge transport, we derive coupled Laplace-Beltrami, Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Navier-Stokes equations from the variational principle

  5. Variational multiscale models for charge transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Guo-Wei; Zheng, Qiong; Chen, Zhan; Xia, Kelin

    2012-01-01

    This work presents a few variational multiscale models for charge transport in complex physical, chemical and biological systems and engineering devices, such as fuel cells, solar cells, battery cells, nanofluidics, transistors and ion channels. An essential ingredient of the present models, introduced in an earlier paper (Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 72, 1562-1622, 2010), is the use of differential geometry theory of surfaces as a natural means to geometrically separate the macroscopic domain from the microscopic domain, meanwhile, dynamically couple discrete and continuum descriptions. Our main strategy is to construct the total energy functional of a charge transport system to encompass the polar and nonpolar free energies of solvation, and chemical potential related energy. By using the Euler-Lagrange variation, coupled Laplace-Beltrami and Poisson-Nernst-Planck (LB-PNP) equations are derived. The solution of the LB-PNP equations leads to the minimization of the total free energy, and explicit profiles of electrostatic potential and densities of charge species. To further reduce the computational complexity, the Boltzmann distribution obtained from the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation is utilized to represent the densities of certain charge species so as to avoid the computationally expensive solution of some Nernst-Planck (NP) equations. Consequently, the coupled Laplace-Beltrami and Poisson-Boltzmann-Nernst-Planck (LB-PBNP) equations are proposed for charge transport in heterogeneous systems. A major emphasis of the present formulation is the consistency between equilibrium LB-PB theory and non-equilibrium LB-PNP theory at equilibrium. Another major emphasis is the capability of the reduced LB-PBNP model to fully recover the prediction of the LB-PNP model at non-equilibrium settings. To account for the fluid impact on the charge transport, we derive coupled Laplace-Beltrami, Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Navier-Stokes equations from the variational principle

  6. Human pathogenic Mycoplasma species induced cytokine gene expression in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive lymphoblastoid cell lines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schäffner, E; Opitz, O; Pietsch, K; Bauer, G; Ehlers, S; Jacobs, E

    1998-04-01

    We addressed the question whether the in vitro interaction of two Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-genome-positive B cell lines (EB-3 and HilB-gamma) with either Mycoplasma pneumoniae or M. hominis, with the mycoplasma species (M. fermentans, M. fermentans subsp. incognitus, M. penetrans, M. genitalium) or with mycoplasma species known to be mere commensals of the respiratory tract (M. orale and M. salivarium) would result in expression of mRNAs for IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4 and IL-6 as determined by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR after 4 and 24 h of cocultivation. The pattern of cytokine gene expression observed depended on (i) the origin of the transformed cell line, (ii) the pathogenicity of the Mycoplasma species, and (iii) the length of cocultivation. The EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell line HilB-gamma showed mRNA expression for IL-2, IL-2-receptor, IL-4 and IL-6 peaking 24 h after stimulation with M. pneumoniae and all AIDS-related mycoplasma species tested. The Burkitt lymphoma cell line EB-3 showed a distinct and isolated strong II-2/IL-2 R-mRNA expression within 4 h after contact with the pathogenic and all of the AIDS related mycoplasma species. In neither EBV-containing cell line cytokine was gene expression detectable after stimulation with the commensal mycoplasma species, M. orale and M. salivarium, indicating species differences in the ability of mycoplasmas to interact with and stimulate B-cell lines. Our data suggest that some mcyoplasma species may act as immunomodulatory cofactors by eliciting inappropriate cytokine gene expression in B cells latently infected with EBV. Therefore, this cultivation model may prove useful in evaluating the pathogenetic potential of novel isolated mycoplasma species. Copyright 1998 Academic Press Limited.

  7. Charge-exchange neutral hydrogen measurements in TFTR using Pd-MOS microsensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bastasz, R.; Kilpatrick, S.J.; Ruzic, D.N.

    1991-06-01

    An array of Pd-metal-oxide semiconductor (Pd-MOS) diodes has been used to monitor the fluence and energy of charge-exchange neutral hydrogen isotopes striking the wall of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). The array was positioned 4 cm behind the graphite-tiled wall at the toroidal midplane and exposed to several hundred plasma discharges. Hydrogen isotopes striking the Pd-MOS diodes were detected by measuring the leakage current, which is affected by the presence of these species at the Pd/SiO 2 interface. It was found that the midplane flux strongly increased for neutral-beam heated plasmas and correlated with co-injected neutral beam power. The majority of the neutral flux was <50 eV in energy but its energy distribution extended to above 500 eV. 20 refs., 4 figs

  8. An analysis of five negative sprite-parent discharges and their associated thunderstorm charge structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boggs, Levi D.; Liu, Ningyu; Splitt, Michael; Lazarus, Steven; Glenn, Chad; Rassoul, Hamid; Cummer, Steven A.

    2016-01-01

    In this study we analyze the discharge morphologies of five confirmed negative sprite-parent discharges and the associated charge structures of the thunderstorms that produced them. The negative sprite-parent lightning took place in two thunderstorms that were associated with a tropical disturbance in east central and south Florida. The first thunderstorm, which moved onshore in east central Florida, produced four of the five negative sprite-parent discharges within a period of 17 min, as it made landfall from the Atlantic Ocean. These negative sprite-parents were composed of bolt-from-the-blue (BFB), hybrid intracloud-negative cloud-to-ground (IC-NCG), and multicell IC-NCGs discharges. The second thunderstorm, which occurred inland over south Florida, produced a negative sprite-parent that was a probable hybrid IC-NCG discharge and two negative gigantic jets (GJs). Weakened upper positive charge with very large midlevel negative charge was inferred for both convective cells that initiated the negative-sprite-parent discharges. Our study suggests tall, intense convective systems with high wind shear at the middle to upper regions of the cloud accompanied by low cloud-to-ground (CG) flash rates promote these charge structures. The excess amount of midlevel negative charge results in these CG discharges transferring much more charge to ground than typical negative CG discharges. We find that BFB discharges prefer an asymmetrical charge structure that brings the negative leader exiting the upper positive charge region closer to the lateral positive screening charge layer. This may be the main factor in determining whether a negative leader exiting the upper positive region of the thundercloud forms a BFB or GJ.

  9. Positive and purifying selection influence the evolution of doublesex in the Anastrepha fraterculus species group.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iderval S Sobrinho

    Full Text Available The gene doublesex (dsx is considered to be under strong selective constraint along its evolutionary history because of its central role in somatic sex differentiation in insects. However, previous studies of dsx used global estimates of evolutionary rates to investigate its molecular evolution, which potentially miss signals of adaptive changes in generally conserved genes. In this work, we investigated the molecular evolution of dsx in the Anastrepha fraterculus species group (Diptera, Tephritidae, and test the hypothesis that this gene evolved solely by purifying selection using divergence-based and population-based methods. In the first approach, we compared sequences from Anastrepha and other Tephritidae with other Muscomorpha species, analyzed variation in nonsynonymous to synonymous rate ratios (dN/dS in the Tephritidae, and investigated radical and conservative changes in amino acid physicochemical properties. We show a general selective constraint on dsx, but with signs of positive selection mainly in the common region. Such changes were localized in alpha-helices previously reported to be involved in dimer formation in the OD2 domain and near the C-terminal of the OD1 domain. In the population-based approach, we amplified a region of 540 bp that spanned almost all of the region common to both sexes from 32 different sites in Brazil. We investigated patterns of selection using neutrality tests based on the frequency spectrum and locations of synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations in a haplotype network. As in the divergence-based approach, these analyses showed that dsx has evolved under an overall selective constraint, but with some events of positive selection. In contrast to previous studies, our analyses indicate that even though dsx has indeed evolved as a conserved gene, the common region of dsx has also experienced bouts of positive selection, perhaps driven by sexual selection, during its evolution.

  10. Space-charge effects of the proportional counters in a multiple-ionization chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mang, M.

    1993-01-01

    At the ALADIN spectrometer of the GSI in october 1991 for the first time the new multiple ionization chamber was applied, in the two anode planes of which are additional multiwire-proportional counters. The proportional counters are required in order to make the detection of light fragments (Z 4 gold projectiles per second by these positive space charges the homogeneous electric field of the MUSIC is disturbed. This effect is especially strong in the beam plane. As consequence of the space charge additionally electrons are focused on the proportional counter so that their amplitudes in dependence on the beam intensity increase up to the 2.5-fold. Furthermore the y coordinate is falsified, because the electrons are diverted to the medium plane. On the measurement of the x coordinate this diversion has with maximally 0.1% only a small influence. These space-charge effects can be qualitatively described by a schematic model, which assumes a stationary positive space charge. Additionally for the proportional counters, which are not in the beam plane, their resolution was determined. In these counters the space-charge effects are small, because essentially fewer particles are registrated than in the medium MWPC's. By this charges of fragments with Z<10 could be separated. The charge resolution amounted at lithium 0.8 charge units. The position resolution of the proportional counters in y direction was determined to less than 8 mm. The detection probability of the fragments amounts for lithium 90% and from boron all fragments are detected

  11. The protective nature of passivation films on zinc: surface charge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muster, Tim H.; Cole, Ivan S.

    2004-01-01

    The influence of oxide surface charge on the corrosion performance of zinc metals was investigated. Oxidised zinc species (zinc oxide, zinc hydroxychloride, zinc hydroxysulfate and zinc hydroxycarbonate) with chemical compositions similar to those produced on zinc during atmospheric corrosion were formed as particles from aqueous solution, and as passive films deposited onto zinc powder, and rolled zinc, surfaces. Synthesized oxides were characterised by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe X-ray microanalysis. The zeta potentials of various oxide particles, as determined by microelectrophoresis, are reported as a function of pH. Particulates containing a majority of zinc hydroxycarbonate and zinc hydroxysulfate crystallites were found to possess a negative surface charge below pH 6, whilst zinc oxide-hydroxide and zinc hydroxychloride crystallites possessed isoelectric points (IEP's) higher than pH 8. The ability of chloride species to pass through a bed of 3 μm diameter zinc powder was found to increase for surfaces possessing carboxy and sulfate surface species, suggesting that negatively charged surfaces can aid in the repulsion of chloride ions. Electrochemical analysis of the open-circuit potential as a function of time at a fixed pH of 6.5 showed that the chemical composition of passive films on zinc plates influenced the ability of chloride ions to access anodic sites for periods of approximately 1 h

  12. Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Workplace Charging Hosts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2013-08-01

    Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have immense potential for increasing the country's energy, economic, and environmental security, and they will play a key role in the future of U.S. transportation. By providing PEV charging at the workplace, employers are perfectly positioned to contribute to and benefit from the electrification of transportation. This handbook answers basic questions about PEVs and charging equipment, helps employers assess whether to offer workplace charging for employees, and outlines important steps for implementation.

  13. Charge state of oxide layer of SIMOX-structures

    CERN Document Server

    Askinazi, A Y; Dmitriev, V A; Miloglyadova, L V

    2001-01-01

    The charge state of the oxide layer of the SIMOX-structures, obtained in the course of forming the oxide layers, bricked up in the silicon volume, through the oxygen ions implantation into the Si, is studied. The charge state of the given structures is studied through the method of the layer-by-layer profiling, which makes it possible to obtain the dependence of the plane zones potential on the oxide layer thickness. It is established, that during the process of the SIMOX-structures formation in the oxide layer near the boundary with the Si there appear defects, responsible for the charge. The radiation from the near-the-ultraviolet (NUV) area without the applied electric field neutralizes the given charge. The simultaneous impact of the NUV-radiation and electric field leads to the formation of significantly positive charge

  14. Manipulation of stored charge in anodic aluminium oxide/SiO2 dielectric stacks by the use of pulsed anodisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Zhong; Ouyang, Zi; Grant, Nicholas; Wan, Yimao; Yan, Di; Lennon, Alison

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Pulse anodisation was used to grow AAO layers with controllable stored charge. • Stored charge density ranging from −5.2 × 10 11 to 2.5 × 10 12 q/cm 2 was demonstrated. • Enhancement in surface passivation was demonstrated with charge management. • Annealing significantly reduces the positive stored charge and the interface defect. - Abstract: A method of fabricating anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) with the capability of manipulating its stored charge is reported. This method involves the use of a pulsed current source to anodise aluminium layers instead of the typically used constant current/voltage source, with the test structures experiencing positive and negative cycles periodically. By tuning the positive cycle percentage, it is demonstrated that the effective stored charge density can be manipulated in a range from −5.2 × 10 11 to 2.5 × 10 12 q/cm 2 when the AAO is formed over a 12 nm SiO 2 layer. An investigation of the stored charge distribution in the dielectric stacks indicates a positive fixed charge at the SiO 2 /Si interface, a negative fixed charge at the AAO/SiO 2 interface and a positive bulk charge within the AAO layer. The effective stored charge density and interface states were found to be affected by annealing conditions and it is suggested that oxygen annealing can reduce the bulk positive charge while post-metallisation anneal is most effective in reducing silicon interface defects. Charge manipulation using pulsed anodisation is shown to reduce carrier recombination on boron-diffused silicon surfaces highlighting the potential of the process to be used to tune the electrical properties of dielectric layers so that they can reduce surface recombination on silicon surfaces having different dopant polarity and concentrations.

  15. Removal of charged micropollutants from water by ion-exchange polymers - Effects of competing electrolytes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bauerlein, P.S.; ter Laak, T.L.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304831026; Hofman-Caris, R.C.; Droge, S.T.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304834017

    2012-01-01

    A wide variety of environmental compounds of concern, e.g. pharmaceuticals or illicit drugs, are acids or bases that may predominantly be present as charged species in drinking water sources. These charged micropollutants may prove difficult to remove by currently used water treatment steps (e.g.

  16. Rapid detection of the positive side reactions in vanadium flow batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Le; Li, Zhaohua; Xi, Jingyu; Zhou, Haipeng; Wu, Zenghua; Qiu, Xinping

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A method for rapid measurement of the positive side reactions in VFB is presented. • The SOC of positive electrolytes can be detected with resolution of 0.002%. • Side reaction ratios at different charge currents, flow rates are obtained. - Abstract: We present an optical detection method for rapid measurement of the positive side reactions in vanadium flow batteries (VFB). By measuring the transmittance of the positive electrolytes in VFB, the states of charge (SOC) of the positive electrolytes can be detected at very high resolution (better than 0.002% in the SOC range from 98% to 100%), due to the nonlinear transmittance spectra caused by the interactions between V(IV) and V(V) ions. The intensity of the positive side reactions of a VFB can be rapidly measured by a few steps, attributing to the fact that the positive side reactions occur only during the high voltage charging process. The ratios of the positive side reactions at different charge currents and different flow rates are obtained while causing no damage to the battery. This optical detection method can rapidly determine the optimal parameters of the VFB system, providing new means for studying the electrochemical reactions in the VFB system and rapid test in industrial production of VFBs.

  17. On the Field of a Stationary Charged Spherical Source

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stavroulakis N.

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available The equations of gravitation related to the field of a spherical charged source imply the existence of an interdependence between gravitation and electricity [5]. The present paper deals with the joint action of gravitation and electricity in the case of a stationary charged spherical source. Let m and " be respectively the mass and the charge of the source, and let k be the gravitational constant. Then the equations of gravitation need specific discussion according as j " j m p k (source strongly charged. In any case the curvature radius of the sphere bounding the matter possesses a strictly positive greatest lower hound, so that the source is necessarily an extended object. Pointwise sources do not exist. In particular, charged black holes do not exist.

  18. The effects of ion adsorption on the potential of zero charge and the differential capacitance of charged aqueous interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uematsu, Yuki; Netz, Roland R.; Bonthuis, Douwe Jan

    2018-02-01

    Using a box profile approximation for the non-electrostatic surface adsorption potentials of anions and cations, we calculate the differential capacitance of aqueous electrolyte interfaces from a numerical solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, including steric interactions between the ions and an inhomogeneous dielectric profile. Preferential adsorption of the positive (negative) ion shifts the minimum of the differential capacitance to positive (negative) surface potential values. The trends are similar for the potential of zero charge; however, the potential of zero charge does not correspond to the minimum of the differential capacitance in the case of asymmetric ion adsorption, contrary to the assumption commonly used to determine the potential of zero charge. Our model can be used to obtain more accurate estimates of ion adsorption properties from differential capacitance or electrocapillary measurements. Asymmetric ion adsorption also affects the relative heights of the characteristic maxima in the differential capacitance curves as a function of the surface potential, but even for strong adsorption potentials the effect is small, making it difficult to reliably determine the adsorption properties from the peak heights.

  19. Mixtures of charged bosons confined in harmonic traps and Bose-Einstein condensation mechanism for low-energy nuclear reactions and transmutation processes in condensed matters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yeong, E. Kim; Zubarev, Alexander L. [Purdue Nuclear and Many-Body Theory Group (PNMBTG) Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States)

    2006-07-01

    A mixture of two different species of positively charged bosons in harmonic traps is considered in the mean-field approximation. It is shown that depending on the ratio of parameters, the two components may coexist in some regions of space, in spite of the Coulomb repulsion between the two species. Application of this result is discussed for the generalization of the Bose-Einstein condensation mechanism for low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) and transmutation processes in condensed matters. For the case of deuteron-lithium (d + Li) LENR, the result indicates that (d + {sup 6}Li) reactions may dominate over (d + d) reactions in LENR experiments. (authors)

  20. Mixtures of charged bosons confined in harmonic traps and Bose-Einstein condensation mechanism for low-energy nuclear reactions and transmutation processes in condensed matters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeong, E. Kim; Zubarev, Alexander L.

    2006-01-01

    A mixture of two different species of positively charged bosons in harmonic traps is considered in the mean-field approximation. It is shown that depending on the ratio of parameters, the two components may coexist in some regions of space, in spite of the Coulomb repulsion between the two species. Application of this result is discussed for the generalization of the Bose-Einstein condensation mechanism for low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) and transmutation processes in condensed matters. For the case of deuteron-lithium (d + Li) LENR, the result indicates that (d + 6 Li) reactions may dominate over (d + d) reactions in LENR experiments. (authors)

  1. The cluster charge identification in the GEM detector for fusion plasma imaging by soft X-ray diagnostics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Czarski, T., E-mail: tomasz.czarski@ifpilm.pl; Chernyshova, M.; Malinowski, K. [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Hery 23, 01-497 Warsaw (Poland); Pozniak, K. T.; Kasprowicz, G.; Kolasinski, P.; Krawczyk, R.; Wojenski, A.; Zabolotny, W. [Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 15/19, 00-665 Warsaw (Poland)

    2016-11-15

    The measurement system based on gas electron multiplier detector is developed for soft X-ray diagnostics of tokamak plasmas. The multi-channel setup is designed for estimation of the energy and the position distribution of an X-ray source. The focal measuring issue is the charge cluster identification by its value and position estimation. The fast and accurate mode of the serial data acquisition is applied for the dynamic plasma diagnostics. The charge clusters are counted in the space determined by 2D position, charge value, and time intervals. Radiation source characteristics are presented by histograms for a selected range of position, time intervals, and cluster charge values corresponding to the energy spectra.

  2. Electrostatic charge characteristics of jet nebulized aerosols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwok, Philip Chi Lip; Trietsch, Sebastiaan J; Kumon, Michiko; Chan, Hak-Kim

    2010-06-01

    Liquid droplets can be spontaneously charged in the absence of applied electric fields by spraying. It has been shown by computational simulation that charges may influence particle deposition in the airways. The electrostatic properties of jet nebulized aerosols and their potential effects on lung deposition have hardly been studied. A modified electrical low pressure impactor (ELPI) was employed to characterize the aerosol charges generated from jet nebulized commercial products. The charge and size measurements were conducted at 50% RH and 22 degrees C with a modified ELPI. Ventolin, Bricanyl, and Atrovent were nebulized using PARI LC Plus jet nebulizers coupled to a DeVilbiss Pulmo-Aide compressor. The aerosols were sampled in 30-sec durations. The drug deposits on the impactor stages were assayed chemically using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The charges of nebulized deionized water, isotonic saline, and the three commercial products diluted with saline were also measured to analyze the contributions of the major nebule ingredients on charging. No mass assays were performed on these runs. All three commercial nebules generated net negative charges. The magnitude of the charges reduced over the period of nebulization. Ventolin and Bricanyl yielded similar charge profiles. Highly variable charges were produced from deionized water. On the other hand, nebulized saline reproducibly generated net positive charges. Diluted commercial nebules showed charge polarity inversion. The charge profiles of diluted salbutamol and terbutaline solutions resembled those of saline, while the charges from diluted ipratropium solutions fluctuated near neutrality. The charge profiles were shown to be influenced by the concentration and physicochemical properties of the drugs, as well as the history of nebulization. The drugs may have unique isoelectric concentrations in saline at which the nebulized droplets would carry near-zero charges. According to results from

  3. A Study of Correlations Between Identified Charged Hadrons in Hadronic Z0 Decays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burrows, Phil

    2000-01-01

    The authors present a preliminary study of correlations in rapidity between pairs of identified charged pions, kaons and protons using the entire SLD data sample of 550,000 hadronic Z 0 decays. Short range charge correlations are observed between all combinations of these hadron species, indicating local conservation of quantum numbers and charge ordering in the jet fragmentation process. The rapidity range of this effect is found to be independent of particle momentum. A strong long-range K + -K - correlation is observed at high-momentum and weaker long-range pi + -pi - , pi + -K - p-K - and p anti-p correlations are observed in light flavor events, providing new information on leading particle production in u, d and s jets. The long-range correlations observed in c anti-c and b anti-b events are markedly different and consistent with expectations based on known decay properties of the leading heavy hadrons. In addition, the SLC electron beam polarization is used to tag the quark hemisphere in each event, allowing the first study of rapidities signed such that positive rapidity is along the quark rather than antiquark direction. Distributions of ordered differences in signed rapidity between pairs of particles provide a direct probe of quantum number ordering along the quark-antiquark axis and other new insights into the fragmentation process

  4. Solid charged-core model of ball lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muldrew, D. B.

    2010-01-01

    In this study, ball lightning (BL) is assumed to have a solid, positively-charged core. According to this underlying assumption, the core is surrounded by a thin electron layer with a charge nearly equal in magnitude to that of the core. A vacuum exists between the core and the electron layer containing an intense electromagnetic (EM) field which is reflected and guided by the electron layer. The microwave EM field applies a ponderomotive force (radiation pressure) to the electrons preventing them from falling into the core. The energetic electrons ionize the air next to the electron layer forming a neutral plasma layer. The electric-field distributions and their associated frequencies in the ball are determined by applying boundary conditions to a differential equation given by Stratton (1941). It is then shown that the electron and plasma layers are sufficiently thick and dense to completely trap and guide the EM field. This model of BL is exceptional in that it can explain all or nearly all of the peculiar characteristics of BL. The ES energy associated with the core charge can be extremely large which can explain the observations that occasionally BL contains enormous energy. The mass of the core prevents the BL from rising like a helium-filled balloon - a problem with most plasma and burning-gas models. The positively charged core keeps the negatively charged electron layer from diffusing away, i.e. it holds the ball together; other models do not have a mechanism to do this. The high electrical charges on the core and in the electron layer explains why some people have been electrocuted by BL. Experiments indicate that BL radiates microwaves upon exploding and this is consistent with the model. The fact that this novel model of BL can explain these and other observations is strong evidence that the model should be taken seriously.

  5. Introducing Membrane Charge and Membrane Potential to T Cell Signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanqing Ma

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available While membrane models now include the heterogeneous distribution of lipids, the impact of membrane charges on regulating the association of proteins with the plasma membrane is often overlooked. Charged lipids are asymmetrically distributed between the two leaflets of the plasma membrane, resulting in the inner leaflet being negatively charged and a surface potential that attracts and binds positively charged ions, proteins, and peptide motifs. These interactions not only create a transmembrane potential but they can also facilitate the formation of charged membrane domains. Here, we reference fields outside of immunology in which consequences of membrane charge are better characterized to highlight important mechanisms. We then focus on T cell receptor (TCR signaling, reviewing the evidence that membrane charges and membrane-associated calcium regulate phosphorylation of the TCR–CD3 complex and discuss how the immunological synapse exhibits distinct patterns of membrane charge distribution. We propose that charged lipids, ions in solution, and transient protein interactions form a dynamic equilibrium during T cell activation.

  6. Charge-transfer properties in the gas electron multiplier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Sanghyo; Kim, Yongkyun; Cho, Hyosung

    2004-01-01

    The charge transfer properties of a gas electron multiplier (GEM) were systematically investigated over a broad range of electric field configurations. The electron collection efficiency and the charge sharing were found to depend on the external fields, as well as on the GEM voltage. The electron collection efficiency increased with the collection field up to 90%, but was essentially independent of the drift field strength. A double conical GEM has a 10% gain increase with time due to surface charging by avalanche ions whereas this effect was eliminated with the cylindrical GEM. The positive-ion feedback is also estimated. (author)

  7. Optical patterning of trapped charge in nitrogen-doped diamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, Harishankar; Henshaw, Jacob; Dhomkar, Siddharth; Pagliero, Daniela; Laraoui, Abdelghani; Manson, Neil B.; Albu, Remus; Doherty, Marcus W.; Meriles, Carlos A.

    2016-08-01

    The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre in diamond is emerging as a promising platform for solid-state quantum information processing and nanoscale metrology. Of interest in these applications is the manipulation of the NV charge, which can be attained by optical excitation. Here, we use two-colour optical microscopy to investigate the dynamics of NV photo-ionization, charge diffusion and trapping in type-1b diamond. We combine fixed-point laser excitation and scanning fluorescence imaging to locally alter the concentration of negatively charged NVs, and to subsequently probe the corresponding redistribution of charge. We uncover the formation of spatial patterns of trapped charge, which we qualitatively reproduce via a model of the interplay between photo-excited carriers and atomic defects. Further, by using the NV as a probe, we map the relative fraction of positively charged nitrogen on localized optical excitation. These observations may prove important to transporting quantum information between NVs or to developing three-dimensional, charge-based memories.

  8. Autonomous Wireless Self-Charging for Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Bin Junaid

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs have the ability to operate in confined spaces and to hover over point of interest, but they have limited flight time and endurance. Conventional contact-based charging system for UAVs has been used, but it requires high landing accuracy for proper docking. Instead of the conventional system, autonomous wireless battery charging system for UAVs in outdoor conditions is proposed in this paper. UAVs can be wirelessly charged using the proposed charging system, regardless of yaw angle between UAVs and wireless charging pad, which can further reduce their control complexity for autonomous landing. The increased overall mission time eventually relaxes the limitations on payload and flight time. In this paper, a cost effective automatic recharging solution for UAVs in outdoor environments is proposed using wireless power transfer (WPT. This research proposes a global positioning system (GPS and vision-based closed-loop target detection and a tracking system for precise landing of quadcopters in outdoor environments. The system uses the onboard camera to detect the shape, color and position of the defined target in image frame. Based on the offset of the target from the center of the image frame, control commands are generated to track and maintain the center position. Commercially available AR.Drone. was used to demonstrate the proposed concept which is equppied with bottom camera and GPS. Experiments and analyses showed good performance, and about 75% average WPT efficiency was achieved in this research.

  9. Incomplete charge collection in an HPGe double-sided strip detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayward, Jason; Wehe, David

    2008-01-01

    For gamma-ray detection, high-purity germanium (HPGe) has long been the standard for energy resolution, and double-sided strip detectors (DSSDs) offer the possibility of sub-millimeter position resolution. Our HPGe DSSD is 81 mm in diameter, 11-mm thick, and has 3-mm strip pitch with a gap width of 500 μm. In this work, we focus on characterizing just the interactions that occur between collecting strips. Simulation and measurement results for our HPGe DSSD show that the gap between strips is the most position-sensitive region. But, spectra collected from events that occur in and near the gaps are complicated by: (1) incomplete charge-carrier collection, or charge loss; (2) signal variance introduced by charge-carrier cloud size, orientation, and lateral spreading; and (3) the difficulty of distinguishing single interactions from multiple close interactions. Using tightly, collimated beams of monoenergetic gamma rays, the measured energy spectra at the gap center show that incomplete charge collection is significant in our detector at 356 and 662 keV, resulting in degradation of the photopeak efficiency. Additionally, close interactions are identifiable in the spectra. Thus, close interactions must be identified on an event-by-event basis in order to precisely identify gap interaction position or make charge-loss corrections at these energies. Furthermore, spectral differences are observed between anode and cathode gaps, and a possible reason for this asymmetry is proposed

  10. Mass analysis of charged aerosol particles in NLC and PMSE during the ECOMA/MASS campaign

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Robertson

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available MASS (Mesospheric Aerosol Sampling Spectrometer is a multichannel mass spectrometer for charged aerosol particles, which was flown from the Andøya Rocket Range, Norway, through NLC and PMSE on 3 August 2007 and through PMSE on 6 August 2007. The eight-channel analyzers provided for the first time simultaneous measurements of the charge density residing on aerosol particles in four mass ranges, corresponding to ice particles with radii <0.5 nm (including ions, 0.5–1 nm, 1–2 nm, and >3 nm (approximately. Positive and negative particles were recorded on separate channels. Faraday rotation measurements provided electron density and a means of checking charge density measurements made by the spectrometer. Additional complementary measurements were made by rocket-borne dust impact detectors, electric field booms, a photometer and ground-based radar and lidar. The MASS data from the first flight showed negative charge number densities of 1500–3000 cm−3 for particles with radii >3 nm from 83–88 km approximately coincident with PMSE observed by the ALWIN radar and NLC observed by the ALOMAR lidar. For particles in the 1–2 nm range, number densities of positive and negative charge were similar in magnitude (~2000 cm−3 and for smaller particles, 0.5–1 nm in radius, positive charge was dominant. The occurrence of positive charge on the aerosol particles of the smallest size and predominately negative charge on the particles of largest size suggests that nucleation occurs on positive condensation nuclei and is followed by collection of negative charge during subsequent growth to larger size. Faraday rotation measurements show a bite-out in electron density that increases the time for positive aerosol particles to be neutralized and charged negatively. The larger particles (>3 nm are observed throughout the NLC region, 83–88 km, and the smaller particles are observed primarily at the high end of the range, 86–88 km

  11. Mass analysis of charged aerosol particles in NLC and PMSE during the ECOMA/MASS campaign

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Robertson

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available MASS (Mesospheric Aerosol Sampling Spectrometer is a multichannel mass spectrometer for charged aerosol particles, which was flown from the Andøya Rocket Range, Norway, through NLC and PMSE on 3 August 2007 and through PMSE on 6 August 2007. The eight-channel analyzers provided for the first time simultaneous measurements of the charge density residing on aerosol particles in four mass ranges, corresponding to ice particles with radii <0.5 nm (including ions, 0.5–1 nm, 1–2 nm, and >3 nm (approximately. Positive and negative particles were recorded on separate channels. Faraday rotation measurements provided electron density and a means of checking charge density measurements made by the spectrometer. Additional complementary measurements were made by rocket-borne dust impact detectors, electric field booms, a photometer and ground-based radar and lidar. The MASS data from the first flight showed negative charge number densities of 1500–3000 cm−3 for particles with radii >3 nm from 83–88 km approximately coincident with PMSE observed by the ALWIN radar and NLC observed by the ALOMAR lidar. For particles in the 1–2 nm range, number densities of positive and negative charge were similar in magnitude (~2000 cm−3 and for smaller particles, 0.5–1 nm in radius, positive charge was dominant. The occurrence of positive charge on the aerosol particles of the smallest size and predominately negative charge on the particles of largest size suggests that nucleation occurs on positive condensation nuclei and is followed by collection of negative charge during subsequent growth to larger size. Faraday rotation measurements show a bite-out in electron density that increases the time for positive aerosol particles to be neutralized and charged negatively. The larger particles (>3 nm are observed throughout the NLC region, 83–88 km, and the smaller particles are observed primarily at the high end of the range, 86–88 km. The second flight into

  12. Interaction of singly and multiply charged ions with a lithium-fluoride surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wirtz, L.

    2001-10-01

    Charge transfer between slow ions and an ionic crystal surface still poses a considerable challenge to theory due to the intrinsic many-body character of the system. For the neutralization of multiply charged ions in front of metal surfaces, the Classical Over the Barrier (COB) model is a widely used tool. We present an extension of this model to ionic crystal surfaces where the localization of valence electrons at the anion sites and the lack of cylindrical symmetry of the ion-surface system impede a simple analytical estimate of electron transfer rates. We use a classical trajectory Monte Carlo approach to calculate electron transfer rates for different charge states of the projectile ion. With these rates we perform a Monte Carlo simulation of the neutralization of slow Ne10+ ions in vertical incidence on an LiF surface. Capture of one or several electrons may lead to a local positive charge up of the surface. The projectile dynamics depends on the balance between the repulsion due to this charge and the attraction due to the self-image potential. In a simulation that treats electronic and nuclear dynamics simultaneously, we show that the image attraction dominates over the repulsive force. Backscattering of very slow multiply charged projectiles high above the surface without touching it ('trampoline effect') does not take place. Instead, the projectile ion penetrates into the surface or is reflected due to close binary collision with surface ions. The case of a singly charged ion in front of an LiF surface is within the reach of ab-initio calculations. We use a multi-configuration self consistent field (MCSCF) and a multi-reference configuration interaction (MR-CI) method to calculate adiabatic potential energy curves for a system consisting of the projectile ion and an embedded cluster of surface ions. With increasing cluster size, the energy levels of the embedded cluster converge towards the band structure of the infinitely extended solid. Due to

  13. Three-dimensional calculations of charge neutralization by neutral gas release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandell, M.J.; Jongeward, G.A.; Katz, I.

    1993-01-01

    There have been numerous observations of high rocket or spacecraft potentials, both positive and negative, and both naturally and artificially induced, being neutralized during thruster firings. Two current studies, CHARGE-2B (positive polarity) and SPEAR3 (negative polarity), attempt a more systematic exploration of this phenomenon. The authors present here calculations performed in support of the SPEAR-3 program. (1) Conventional phenomenology of breakdown is applied to the three-dimensional system formed by the electrostatic potential and plume density fields. Using real cross sections, they calculate the paths along which the nozzle plume can support breakdown. This leads to a recommendation that the higher flow rate on SPEAR-3 be 2 g/s of argon, equal to the CHARGE-2B flow rate. (2) In a laboratory chamber, conditions (pressure of ∼ 2 x 10 - 5 torr) favor breakdown of the positive (electron-collecting) sheath for SPEAR-3 geometry. Three-dimensional calculations illustrate the evolution of the space charge and potential structure during the breakdown process. These calculations demonstrate the ability to apply accepted phenomenology to real systems with three dimensional electrostatic potential fields, space charge fields, and neutral density fields, including magnetic field effects and real cross-section data

  14. Dependence of charge transfer phenomena during solid-air two-phase flow on particle disperser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanoue, Ken-ichiro; Suedomi, Yuuki; Honda, Hirotaka; Furutani, Satoshi; Nishimura, Tatsuo; Masuda, Hiroaki

    2012-12-01

    An experimental investigation of the tribo-electrification of particles has been conducted during solid-air two-phase turbulent flow. The current induced in a metal plate by the impact of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles in a high-speed air flow was measured for two different plate materials. The results indicated that the contact potential difference between the particles and a stainless steel plate was positive, while for a nickel plate it was negative. These results agreed with theoretical contact charge transfer even if not only the particle size but also the kind of metal plate was changed. The specific charge of the PMMA particles during solid-air two-phase flow using an ejector, a stainless steel branch pipe, and a stainless steel straight pipe was measured using a Faraday cage. Although the charge was negative in the ejector, the particles had a positive specific charge at the outlet of the branch pipe, and this positive charge increased in the straight pipe. The charge decay along the flow direction could be reproduced by the charging and relaxation theory. However, the proportional coefficients in the theory changed with the particle size and air velocity. Therefore, an unexpected charge transfer occurred between the ejector and the branch pipe, which could not be explained solely by the contact potential difference. In the ejector, an electrical current in air might have been produced by self-discharge of particles with excess charge between the nickel diffuser in the ejector and the stainless steel nozzle or the stainless steel pipe due to a reversal in the contact potential difference between the PMMA and the stainless steel. The sign of the current depended on the particle size, possibly because the position where the particles impacted depended on their size. When dual coaxial glass pipes were used as a particle disperser, the specific charge of the PMMA particles became more positive along the particle flow direction due to the contact

  15. Bactericidal and Hemocompatible Coating via the Mixed-Charged Copolymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Xiao-Li; Hu, Mi; Qin, Zhi-Hui; Wang, Jing; Chen, Xia-Chao; Lei, Wen-Xi; Ye, Wan-Ying; Jin, Qiao; Ren, Ke-Feng; Ji, Jian

    2018-03-28

    Cationic antibacterial coating based on quaternary ammonium compounds, with an efficient and broad spectrum bactericidal property, has been widely used in various fields. However, the high density of positive charges tends to induce weak hemocompatibility, which hinders the application of the cationic antibacterial coating in blood-contacting devices and implants. It has been reported that a negatively charged surface can reduce blood coagulation, showing improved hemocompatibility. Here, we describe a strategy to combine the cationic and anionic groups by using mixed-charged copolymers. The copolymers of poly (quaternized vinyl pyridine- co- n-butyl methacrylate- co-methacrylate acid) [P(QVP- co- nBMA- co-MAA)] were synthesized through free radical copolymerization. The cationic group of QVP, the anionic group of MAA, and the hydrophobic group of nBMA were designed to provide bactericidal capability, hemocompatibility, and coating stability, respectively. Our findings show that the hydrophilicity of the copolymer coating increased, and its zeta potential decreased from positive charge to negative charge with the increase of the anionic/cationic ratio. Meanwhile, the bactericidal property of the copolymer coating was kept around a similar level compared with the pure quaternary ammonium copolymer coating. Furthermore, the coagulation time, platelet adhesion, and hemolysis tests revealed that the hemocompatibility of the copolymer coating improved with the addition of the anionic group. The mixed-charged copolymer combined both bactericidal property and hemocompatibility and has a promising potential in blood-contacting antibacterial devices and implants.

  16. Interactions between charged residues in the transmembrane segments of the voltage-sensing domain in the hERG channel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, M; Liu, J; Jiang, M; Wu, D-M; Sonawane, K; Guy, H R; Tseng, G-N

    2005-10-01

    Studies on voltage-gated K channels such as Shaker have shown that positive charges in the voltage-sensor (S4) can form salt bridges with negative charges in the surrounding transmembrane segments in a state-dependent manner, and different charge pairings can stabilize the channels in closed or open states. The goal of this study is to identify such charge interactions in the hERG channel. This knowledge can provide constraints on the spatial relationship among transmembrane segments in the channel's voltage-sensing domain, which are necessary for modeling its structure. We first study the effects of reversing S4's positive charges on channel activation. Reversing positive charges at the outer (K525D) and inner (K538D) ends of S4 markedly accelerates hERG activation, whereas reversing the 4 positive charges in between either has no effect or slows activation. We then use the 'mutant cycle analysis' to test whether D456 (outer end of S2) and D411 (inner end of S1) can pair with K525 and K538, respectively. Other positive charges predicted to be able, or unable, to interact with D456 or D411 are also included in the analysis. The results are consistent with predictions based on the distribution of these charged residues, and confirm that there is functional coupling between D456 and K525 and between D411 and K538.

  17. Effect of substrate bias on deposition behaviour of charged silicon nanoparticles in ICP-CVD process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Seung-Wan; Kim, Jung-Hyung; Seong, Dae-Jin; You, Shin-Jae; Seo, Byong-Hoon; Hwang, Nong-Moon

    2017-01-01

    The effect of a substrate bias on the deposition behaviour of crystalline silicon films during inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) was analysed by consideration of non-classical crystallization, in which the building block is a nanoparticle rather than an individual atom or molecule. The coexistence of positively and negatively charged nanoparticles in the plasma and their role in Si film deposition are confirmed by applying bias voltages to the substrate, which is sufficiently small as not to affect the plasma potential. The sizes of positively and negatively charged nanoparticles captured on a carbon membrane and imaged using TEM are, respectively, 2.7–5.5 nm and 6–13 nm. The film deposited by positively charged nanoparticles has a typical columnar structure. In contrast, the film deposited by negatively charged nanoparticles has a structure like a powdery compact with the deposition rate about three times higher than that for positively charged nanoparticles. All the films exhibit crystallinity even though the substrate is at room temperature, which is attributed to the deposition of crystalline nanoparticles formed in the plasma. The film deposited by negatively charged nanoparticles has the highest crystalline fraction of 0.84. (paper)

  18. IONIZATION AND DUST CHARGING IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ivlev, A. V.; Caselli, P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstr. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Akimkin, V. V., E-mail: ivlev@mpe.mpg.de [Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyatnitskaya Street 48, 119017 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2016-12-10

    Ionization–recombination balance in dense interstellar and circumstellar environments is a key factor for a variety of important physical processes, such as chemical reactions, dust charging and coagulation, coupling of the gas with magnetic field, and development of instabilities in protoplanetary disks. We determine a critical gas density above which the recombination of electrons and ions on the grain surface dominates over the gas-phase recombination. For this regime, we present a self-consistent analytical model, which allows us to calculate exactly the abundances of charged species in dusty gas, without making assumptions on the grain charge distribution. To demonstrate the importance of the proposed approach, we check whether the conventional approximation of low grain charges is valid for typical protoplanetary disks, and discuss the implications for dust coagulation and development of the “dead zone” in the disk. The presented model is applicable for arbitrary grain-size distributions and, for given dust properties and conditions of the disk, has only one free parameter—the effective mass of the ions, shown to have a small effect on the results. The model can be easily included in numerical simulations following the dust evolution in dense molecular clouds and protoplanetary disks.

  19. Manipulation of stored charge in anodic aluminium oxide/SiO{sub 2} dielectric stacks by the use of pulsed anodisation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Zhong, E-mail: z.lu@unsw.edu.au [School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Ouyang, Zi [School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Grant, Nicholas; Wan, Yimao; Yan, Di [Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia); Lennon, Alison [School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia)

    2016-02-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Pulse anodisation was used to grow AAO layers with controllable stored charge. • Stored charge density ranging from −5.2 × 10{sup 11} to 2.5 × 10{sup 12} q/cm{sup 2} was demonstrated. • Enhancement in surface passivation was demonstrated with charge management. • Annealing significantly reduces the positive stored charge and the interface defect. - Abstract: A method of fabricating anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) with the capability of manipulating its stored charge is reported. This method involves the use of a pulsed current source to anodise aluminium layers instead of the typically used constant current/voltage source, with the test structures experiencing positive and negative cycles periodically. By tuning the positive cycle percentage, it is demonstrated that the effective stored charge density can be manipulated in a range from −5.2 × 10{sup 11} to 2.5 × 10{sup 12} q/cm{sup 2} when the AAO is formed over a 12 nm SiO{sub 2} layer. An investigation of the stored charge distribution in the dielectric stacks indicates a positive fixed charge at the SiO{sub 2}/Si interface, a negative fixed charge at the AAO/SiO{sub 2} interface and a positive bulk charge within the AAO layer. The effective stored charge density and interface states were found to be affected by annealing conditions and it is suggested that oxygen annealing can reduce the bulk positive charge while post-metallisation anneal is most effective in reducing silicon interface defects. Charge manipulation using pulsed anodisation is shown to reduce carrier recombination on boron-diffused silicon surfaces highlighting the potential of the process to be used to tune the electrical properties of dielectric layers so that they can reduce surface recombination on silicon surfaces having different dopant polarity and concentrations.

  20. Current leakage relaxation and charge trapping in ultra-porous low-k materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borja, Juan; Plawsky, Joel L.; Gill, William N.; Lu, T.-M.; Bakhru, Hassaram

    2014-01-01

    Time dependent dielectric failure has become a pivotal aspect of interconnect design as industry pursues integration of sub-22 nm process-technology nodes. Literature has provided key information about the role played by individual species such as electrons, holes, ions, and neutral impurity atoms. However, no mechanism has been shown to describe how such species interact and influence failure. Current leakage relaxation in low-k dielectrics was studied using bipolar field experiments to gain insight into how charge carrier flow becomes impeded by defects within the dielectric matrix. Leakage current decay was correlated to injection and trapping of electrons. We show that current relaxation upon inversion of the applied field can be described by the stretched exponential function. The kinetics of charge trapping events are consistent with a time-dependent reaction rate constant, k=k 0 ⋅(t+1) β−1 , where 0 < β < 1. Such dynamics have previously been observed in studies of charge trapping reactions in amorphous solids by W. H. Hamill and K. Funabashi, Phys. Rev. B 16, 5523–5527 (1977). We explain the relaxation process in charge trapping events by introducing a nonlinear charge trapping model. This model provides a description on the manner in which the transport of mobile defects affects the long-tail current relaxation processes in low-k films

  1. Charge steering of laser plasma accelerated fast ions in a liquid spray — creation of MeV negative ion and neutral atom beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnürer, M.; Abicht, F.; Priebe, G.; Braenzel, J.; Prasad, R.; Borghesi, M.; Andreev, A.; Nickles, P. V.; Jequier, S.; Tikhonchuk, V.; Ter-Avetisyan, S.

    2013-01-01

    The scenario of “electron capture and loss” has been recently proposed for the formation of negative ion and neutral atom beams with up to MeV kinetic energy [S. Ter-Avetisyan, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 051501 (2011)]. Validation of these processes and of their generic nature is here provided in experiments where the ion source and the interaction medium have been spatially separated. Fast positive ions accelerated from a laser plasma source are sent through a cold spray where their charge is changed. Such formed neutral atom or negative ion has nearly the same momentum as the original positive ion. Experiments are released for protons, carbon, and oxygen ions and corresponding beams of negative ions and neutral atoms have been obtained. The electron capture and loss phenomenon is confirmed to be the origin of the negative ion and neutral atom beams. The equilibrium ratios of different charge components and cross sections have been measured. Our method is general and allows the creation of beams of neutral atoms and negative ions for different species which inherit the characteristics of the positive ion source

  2. Controlled phase gate for solid-state charge-qubit architectures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schirmer, S.G.; Oi, D.K.L.; Greentree, Andrew D.

    2005-01-01

    We describe a mechanism for realizing a controlled phase gate for solid-state charge qubits. By augmenting the positionally defined qubit with an auxiliary state, and changing the charge distribution in the three-dot system, we are able to effectively switch the Coulombic interaction, effecting an entangling gate. We consider two architectures, and numerically investigate their robustness to gate noise

  3. Charge-transfer spectra of tetravalent lanthanide ions in oxides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoefdraad, H.E.

    The charge-transfer spectra of Ce4+, Pr4+ and Tb4+ in a number of oxides are reported. It is noted that the position of the first charge-transfer band is fixed for the metal ion in an oxygen coordination of VI, but varies in VIII coordination as a function of the host lattice. It is argued that this

  4. Charge orders in organic charge-transfer salts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaneko, Ryui; Valentí, Roser; Tocchio, Luca F; Becca, Federico

    2017-01-01

    Motivated by recent experimental suggestions of charge-order-driven ferroelectricity in organic charge-transfer salts, such as κ -(BEDT-TTF) 2 Cu[N(CN) 2 ]Cl, we investigate magnetic and charge-ordered phases that emerge in an extended two-orbital Hubbard model on the anisotropic triangular lattice at 3/4 filling. This model takes into account the presence of two organic BEDT-TTF molecules, which form a dimer on each site of the lattice, and includes short-range intramolecular and intermolecular interactions and hoppings. By using variational wave functions and quantum Monte Carlo techniques, we find two polar states with charge disproportionation inside the dimer, hinting to ferroelectricity. These charge-ordered insulating phases are stabilized in the strongly correlated limit and their actual charge pattern is determined by the relative strength of intradimer to interdimer couplings. Our results suggest that ferroelectricity is not driven by magnetism, since these polar phases can be stabilized also without antiferromagnetic order and provide a possible microscopic explanation of the experimental observations. In addition, a conventional dimer-Mott state (with uniform density and antiferromagnetic order) and a nonpolar charge-ordered state (with charge-rich and charge-poor dimers forming a checkerboard pattern) can be stabilized in the strong-coupling regime. Finally, when electron–electron interactions are weak, metallic states appear, with either uniform charge distribution or a peculiar 12-site periodicity that generates honeycomb-like charge order. (paper)

  5. Phylogenetic analysis and systematic position of two new species of the ant genus Crematogaster (Hymenoptera, Formicidae from Southeast Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shingo Hosoishi

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Two distinct new species of the ant genus Crematogaster, C. khmerensis sp. nov. and C. pfeifferi sp. nov., are described from Cambodia and Malaysia, respectively. The two species are unique among Asian Crematogaster in that they have vertically directed propodeal spines, but their systematic positions have not been determined based on morphological characters alone. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of 89 Crematogaster taxon matrices previously published plus C. khmerensis sp. nov., using nuclear genes, reveals that C. khmerensis sp. nov. is nested within the Australo-Asian Crematogaster clade. Morphological assignment of the developed pronotal shoulders implies a close relationship between C. khmerensis sp. nov. and the C. tetracantha-group. Based on molecular and morphological evidence, we erect a new species group, C. khmerensis-group, to contain C. khmerensis sp. nov. and C. pfeifferi sp. nov. Divergence time estimates using MCMCTree shows that the root node of the C. khmerensis sp. nov. terminal is estimated to be of middle Miocene age at 15 million years old. The position of the C. khmerensis-group well supports the Oriental- to Australian-region dispersal history that has been proposed for the Australo-Asian Crematogaster clade.

  6. Noise in position measurement by centroid calculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volkov, P.

    1996-01-01

    The position of a particle trajectory in a gaseous (or semiconductor) detector can be measured by calculating the centroid of the induced charge on the cathode plane. The charge amplifiers attached to each cathode strip introduce noise which is added to the signal. This noise broadens the position resolution line. Our article gives an analytical tool to estimate the resolution broadening due to the noise per strip and the number of strips involved in the centroid calculation. It is shown that the position resolution increases faster than the square root of the number of strips involved. We also consider the consequence of added interstrip capacitors, intended to diminish the differential nonlinearity. It is shown that the position error increases slower than linearly with the interstrip capacities, due to the cancellation of correlated noise. The estimation we give, can be applied to calculations of position broadening other than the centroid finding. (orig.)

  7. Charge Control And Wettability Alteration At Solid-liquid Interfaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mugele, Friedrich Gunther; Sîretanu, Igor; Kumar, Naveen; Bera, B.; Wang, Lei; Maestro, Armando; Duits, Michael H.G.; van den Ende, Henricus T.M.; Collins, I

    2014-01-01

    Most solid surfaces acquire a finite surface charge upon exposure to aqueous environments due to desorption and/or adsorption of ionic species. The resulting electrostatic forces play a crucial role in many fields of science, including colloidal stability, self-assembly, wetting, and biophysics as

  8. Detecting charging state of ultra-fine particles: instrumental development and ambient measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Laakso

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The importance of ion-induced nucleation in the lower atmosphere has been discussed for a long time. In this article we describe a new instrumental setup – Ion-DMPS – which can be used to detect contribution of ion-induced nucleation on atmospheric new particle formation events. The device measures positively and negatively charged particles with and without a bipolar charger. The ratio between "charger off" to "charger on" describes the charging state of aerosol particle population with respect to equilibrium. Values above one represent more charges than in an equilibrium (overcharged state, and values below unity stand for undercharged situation, when there is less charges in the particles than in the equilibrium. We performed several laboratory experiments to test the operation of the instrument. After the laboratory tests, we used the device to observe particle size distributions during atmospheric new particle formation in a boreal forest. We found that some of the events were clearly dominated by neutral nucleation but in some cases also ion-induced nucleation contributed to the new particle formation. We also found that negative and positive ions (charged particles behaved in a different manner, days with negative overcharging were more frequent than days with positive overcharging.

  9. Method of charging instruments into liquid metal coolant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamazaki, Hiroshi

    1980-01-01

    Purpose: To alleviate the thermal shock of a reactor charging machine when charging the machine into liquid metal coolant after the machine is preheated in cover gas. Method: When a reactor fueling machine reaches at the lowermost portion the position immediately above liquid metal coolant surface level, the machine is stopped moving down. The reactor fueling machine is heated at the lowermost portion by thermal radiation from the surface of the liquid metal coolant. After the machine is thus preheated in cover gas, it is again steadily moved down by a winch and charged into the liquid metal coolant. Therefore, the thermal shock of the machine becomes low when charging the machine into the liquid metal coolant to eliminate the damage and deformation at the machine. (Yoshihara, H.)

  10. q-deformed charged fermion coherent states and SU(3) charged, Hyper-charged fermion coherent states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao Sanru; Li Guanghua; Long Junyan

    1994-01-01

    By virtue of the algebra of the q-deformed fermion oscillators, the q-deformed charged fermion coherent states and SU(3) charged, hyper-charged fermion coherent states are discussed. The explicit forms of the two kinds of coherent states mentioned above are obtained by making use of the completeness of base vectors in the q-fermion Fock space. By comparing the q-deformed results with the ordinary results, it is found that the q-deformed charged fermion coherent states and SU(3) charged, hyper-charged fermion coherent states are automatically reduced to the ordinary charged fermion coherent states and SU(3) charged hyper-charged fermion coherent states if the deformed parameter q→1

  11. Carbon sources and trophic position of the main species of fishes of Baía River, Paraná River floodplain, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manetta G. I.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to verify the carbon source and trophic position of the main species of fishes, of the Paraná River floodplain, we analysed the proportion of stable carbon (delta13C and nitrogen (delta15N isotopes in muscle of fishes sampled in the rainy season. We analyzed adult individuals of Loricariichthys platymetopon, Schizodon borellii, Leporinus lacustris, Auchenipterus osteomystax, Iheringichthys labrosus, Leporinus friderici, and Serrasalmus marginatus. These data were compared with the results obtained by the analyzing stomach contents. The primary producers found in the Baía River were the C3 plants (riparian vegetation, macrophytes, periphyton, and phytoplankton and the C4 plants (macrophytes. The results of the contribution analysis revealed that the carbon used by the species was derived from C3 plants. According to the trophic position estimates (diet and delta15N, the species primarily consumed Loricariichthys platymetopon, Schizodon borellii, Leporinus lacustris, and Leporinus friderici and, secondarily Auchenipterus osteomystax, Iheringichthys labrosus, and Serrasalmus marginatus. There was no significant difference between the two methods utilized.

  12. Combined effect of salt concentration and pressure gradients across charged membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Benavente, Juana; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

    2002-01-01

    The combined effect of both concentration and pressure differences on electrical potential (Deltaphi) for two ion-exchanger membranes, one positively charged (AE) and another negatively charged (CE), measured with the membranes in contact with NaCl solutions was studied. Results show a linear dep...

  13. Electric and hybrid vehicles charge efficiency tests of ESB EV-106 lead acid batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowlette, J. J.

    1981-01-01

    Charge efficiencies were determined by measurements made under widely differing conditions of temperature, charge procedure, and battery age. The measurements were used to optimize charge procedures and to evaluate the concept of a modified, coulometric state of charge indicator. Charge efficiency determinations were made by measuring gassing rates and oxygen fractions. A novel, positive displacement gas flow meter which proved to be both simple and highly accurate is described and illustrated.

  14. Gravitational Collapse of Charged Matter in Einstein-DeSitter Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avinash, K.; Krishnan, V.

    1997-11-01

    Gravitational collapse of charged matter in expanding universe is studied. We consider a quasi neutral electron-ion-massive grain plasma in which all the three species are expanding at the same rate i.e., ni ∝ 1/R^3 [ ni is the number density of the i^ th species and R is the scale factor ]. In Einstein-DeSitter universe the scale factor R goes as ~ t^2/3. The electrons and ions follow Boltzmann's relation. The stability of this equilibrium is studied on Jeans times scale. Depending on the ratio a = fracq d^2Gmd^2 the growth of gravitational collapse is further moderated from t^2/3 growth. For a=1, the instability is completely quenched. In curvature and radiation dominated universe, there is no additional effect due to finite charge of the matter.

  15. The gravitational field of a charged global monopole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Min-Qiang Lu [East China Univ. of Science and Tecnology, Shangai (China). School of Fundamental Education]|[East China Inst. for Theoretical Physics, Shangai (China)

    1998-10-01

    A charged global monopole formed as a consequence of the spontaneous breakdown of a global symmetry should have a mass that grows linearly with the distance off its core where the gravitational effect of this configuration is equivalent to that of the deficit solid angle in the metric and the relatively tiny mass at the origin. In this paper it is shown that this small effective mass depends on the charge in that there exists a negative mass when the charge number Q is less than a critical value Q{sub c}r and that there appears a positive one when Q>Q{sub c}r.

  16. The effect of a direct current field on the microparticle charge in the plasma afterglow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wörner, L. [Max Planck Institute for extraterrestrial Physics, P.O. Box 1312, Giessenbachstr., 85741 Garching (Germany); Groupe de Recherches sur l' Energétique des Milieux Ionisés, UMR7344, CNRS, Univ. Orléans, F-45067 Orléans (France); Ivlev, A. V.; Huber, P.; Hagl, T.; Thomas, H. M.; Morfill, G. E. [Max Planck Institute for extraterrestrial Physics, P.O. Box 1312, Giessenbachstr., 85741 Garching (Germany); Couëdel, L. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille-Université, Laboiratoire de Physique des Intéractions Ioniques et Moléculaires, UMR 7345, 13397 Marseille cedex 20 (France); Schwabe, M. [Max Planck Institute for extraterrestrial Physics, P.O. Box 1312, Giessenbachstr., 85741 Garching (Germany); Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Mikikian, M.; Boufendi, L. [Groupe de Recherches sur l' Energétique des Milieux Ionisés, UMR7344, CNRS, Univ. Orléans, F-45067 Orléans (France); Skvortsov, A. [Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center, RU-141160 Star City (Russian Federation); Lipaev, A. M.; Molotkov, V. I.; Petrov, O. F.; Fortov, V. E. [Joint Institute for High Temperatures, RU-125412 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2013-12-15

    Residual charges of individual microparticles forming dense clouds were measured in a RF discharge afterglow. Experiments were performed under microgravity conditions on board the International Space Station, which ensured particle levitation inside the gas volume after the plasma switch-off. The distribution of residual charges as well as the spatial distribution of charged particles across the cloud were analyzed by applying a low-frequency voltage to the electrodes and measuring amplitudes of the resulting particle oscillations. Upon “free decharging” conditions, the charge distribution had a sharp peak at zero and was rather symmetric (with charges concentrated between −10e and +10e), yet positively and negatively charged particles were homogeneously distributed over the cloud. However, when decharging evolved in the presence of an external DC field (applied shortly before the plasma switch-off) practically all residual charges were positive. In this case, the overall charge distribution had a sharp peak at about +15e and was highly asymmetric, while the spatial distribution exhibited a significant charge gradient along the direction of the applied DC field.

  17. A charge-dependent mechanism is responsible for the dynamic accumulation of proteins inside nucleoli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musinova, Yana R; Kananykhina, Eugenia Y; Potashnikova, Daria M; Lisitsyna, Olga M; Sheval, Eugene V

    2015-01-01

    The majority of known nucleolar proteins are freely exchanged between the nucleolus and the surrounding nucleoplasm. One way proteins are retained in the nucleoli is by the presence of specific amino acid sequences, namely nucleolar localization signals (NoLSs). The mechanism by which NoLSs retain proteins inside the nucleoli is still unclear. Here, we present data showing that the charge-dependent (electrostatic) interactions of NoLSs with nucleolar components lead to nucleolar accumulation as follows: (i) known NoLSs are enriched in positively charged amino acids, but the NoLS structure is highly heterogeneous, and it is not possible to identify a consensus sequence for this type of signal; (ii) in two analyzed proteins (NF-κB-inducing kinase and HIV-1 Tat), the NoLS corresponds to a region that is enriched for positively charged amino acid residues; substituting charged amino acids with non-charged ones reduced the nucleolar accumulation in proportion to the charge reduction, and nucleolar accumulation efficiency was strongly correlated with the predicted charge of the tested sequences; and (iii) sequences containing only lysine or arginine residues (which were referred to as imitative NoLSs, or iNoLSs) are accumulated in the nucleoli in a charge-dependent manner. The results of experiments with iNoLSs suggested that charge-dependent accumulation inside the nucleoli was dependent on interactions with nucleolar RNAs. The results of this work are consistent with the hypothesis that nucleolar protein accumulation by NoLSs can be determined by the electrostatic interaction of positively charged regions with nucleolar RNAs rather than by any sequence-specific mechanism. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Electrolytic charge inversion at the liquid-solid interface in a nanopore in a doped semiconductor membrane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gracheva, Maria E [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Leburton, Jean-Pierre [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

    2007-04-11

    The electrostatics of a nanopore in a doped semiconductor membrane immersed in an electrolyte is studied with a numerical model. Unlike dielectric membranes that always attract excess positive ion charges at the electrolyte/membrane interface whenever a negative surface charge is present, semiconductor membranes exhibit more versatility in controlling the double layer at the membrane surface. The presence of dopant charge in the semiconductor membrane, the shape of the nanopore and the negative surface charge resulting from the pore fabrication process have competing influences on the double layer formation. The inversion of the electrolyte surface charge from negative to positive is observed for n-Si membranes as a function of the membrane surface charge density, while no such inversion occurs for dielectric and p-Si membranes.

  19. Role of Charge Regulation and Size Polydispersity in Nanoparticle Encapsulation by Viral Coat Proteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kusters, Remy; Lin, Hsiang-Ku; Zandi, Roya; Tsvetkova, Irina; Dragnea, Bogdan; van der Schoot, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Nanoparticles can be encapsulated by virus coat proteins if their surfaces are functionalized to acquire a sufficiently large negative charge. A minimal surface charge is required to overcome (i) repulsive interactions between the positively charged RNA-binding domains on the proteins and (ii) the

  20. Impact of Fast Charging on Life of EV Batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neubauer, Jeremy; Wood, Eric; Burton, Evan; Smith, Kandler; Pesaran, Ahmad A.

    2015-05-03

    Utilization of public charging infrastructure is heavily dependent on user-specific travel behavior. The availability of fast chargers can positively affect the utility of battery electric vehicles, even given infrequent use. Estimated utilization rates do not appear frequent enough to significantly impact battery life. Battery thermal management systems are critical in mitigating dangerous thermal conditions on long distance tours with multiple fast charge events.

  1. DEM modeling of ball mills with experimental validation: influence of contact parameters on charge motion and power draw

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boemer, Dominik; Ponthot, Jean-Philippe

    2017-01-01

    Discrete element method simulations of a 1:5-scale laboratory ball mill are presented in this paper to study the influence of the contact parameters on the charge motion and the power draw. The position density limit is introduced as an efficient mathematical tool to describe and to compare the macroscopic charge motion in different scenarios, i.a. with different values of the contact parameters. While the charge motion and the power draw are relatively insensitive to the stiffness and the damping coefficient of the linear spring-slider-damper contact law, the coefficient of friction has a strong influence since it controls the sliding propensity of the charge. Based on the experimental calibration and validation by charge motion photographs and power draw measurements, the descriptive and predictive capabilities of the position density limit and the discrete element method are demonstrated, i.e. the real position of the charge is precisely delimited by the respective position density limit and the power draw can be predicted with an accuracy of about 5 %.

  2. On the production of positive molecular ions in cometary comas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarafdar, S.P.; Wickramasinghe, N.C.

    1977-01-01

    Positively charged molecular ions, such as H 2 O + , which have been observed in cometary comas, may be efficiently produced by the evaporation of positively charged clathrate grains of radii in the range approximately 10 -6 -10 -3 cm. Such grains may be expelled from nuclei of comets, along with gaseous molecules. Grain charging occurs via interaction with solar ultraviolet photons and/or solar wind protons. Observational data on the total quantities as well as the distributions of H 2 O and H 2 O + in cometary comas are shown to be in accord with detailed model calculations. (Auth.)

  3. On the secondary charging effects and structure of mesospheric dust particles impacting on rocket probes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Havnes, O.; Naesheim, L.I. [Inst. of Physics, Univ. of Tromso (Norway)

    2007-07-01

    The dust probe DUSTY, first launched during the summer of 1994 (flights ECT-02 and ECT-07) from Andoeya Rocket Range, northern Norway, was the first probe to unambiguously detect heavy charged mesospheric aerosols, from hereon referred to as dust. In ECT-02 the probe detected negatively charged dust particles in the height interval of 83 to 88.5 km. In this flight, the lower grid in the detector (Grid 2) measures both positive and negative currents in various regions, and we find that the relationship between the current measurements of Grid 2 and the bottom plate can only be explained by influence from secondary charge production on Grid 2. In ECT-07, which had a large coning, positive currents reaching the top grid of the probe were interpreted as due to the impact of positively charged dust particles. We have now reanalyzed the data from ECT-07 and arrived at the conclusion that the measured positive currents to this grid must have been mainly due to secondary charging effects from the impacting dust particles. The grid consists of a set of parallel wires crossed with an identical set of wires on top of it, and we find that if the observed currents were created from the direct impact of charged dust particles, then they should be very weakly modulated at four times the rocket spin rate {omega}{sub R}. Observations show, however, that the observed currents are strongly modulated at 2{omega}{sub R}. We cannot reproduce the observed large modulations of the impact currents in the dust layer if the currents are due only to the transfer of the charges on the impacted dust particles. Based on the results of recent ice cluster impact secondary charging experiments by Tomsic (2003), which found that a small fraction of the ice clusters, when impacting with nearly grazing incidence, carried away one negative charge - 1e, we have arrived at the conclusion that similar, but significantly more effective, charging effects must be predominantly responsible for the positive

  4. Osteoblasts with impaired spreading capacity benefit from the positive charges of plasma polymerised allylamine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F Kunz

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Bone diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, impinge on the performance of orthopaedic implants by impairing bone regeneration. For this reason, the development of effective surface modifications supporting the ingrowth of implants in morbid bone tissue is essential. Our study is designed to elucidate if cells with restricted cell-function limiting adhesion processes benefit from plasma polymer deposition on titanium. We used the actin filament disrupting agent cytochalasin D (CD as an experimental model for cells with impaired actin cytoskeleton. Indeed, the cell’s capacity to adhere and spread was drastically reduced due to shortened actin filaments and vinculin contacts that were smaller. The coating of titanium with a positively charged nanolayer of plasma polymerised allylamine (PPAAm abrogated these disadvantages in cell adhesion and the CD-treated osteoblasts were able to spread significantly. Interestingly, PPAAm increased spreading by causing enhanced vinculin number and contact length, but without significantly reorganising actin filaments. PPAAm with the monomer allylamine was deposited in a microwave-excited low-pressure plasma-processing reactor. Cell physiology was monitored by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy, and the length and number of actin filaments was quantified by mathematical image processing. We showed that biomaterial surface modification with PPAAm could be beneficial even for osteoblasts with impaired cytoskeleton components. These insights into in vitro conditions may be used for the evaluation of future strategies to design implants for morbid bone tissue.

  5. Second coordinate readout in drift chambers by charge division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radeka, V.; Rehak, P.

    1977-10-01

    The drift time measurement and the charge division can be performed simultaneously on the same electrode (resistive anode) without affecting the accuracy of either measurement. It is shown that for the shortest measurement time there is an optimum value for the anode wire resistance. The signal requirement for a position uncertainty sigma less than or equal to 0.5% of the anode wire length is only 2.7 x 10 6 electron charges. The drift chamber can be operated in the linear mode and with negligible space charge effects, so that it can also be used for ΔE/ΔX measurements. A simple preamplifier optimized for both the time and charge measurements using a monolithic transistor array is described

  6. Electrostatic Model Applied to ISS Charged Water Droplet Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevenson, Daan; Schaub, Hanspeter; Pettit, Donald R.

    2015-01-01

    The electrostatic force can be used to create novel relative motion between charged bodies if it can be isolated from the stronger gravitational and dissipative forces. Recently, Coulomb orbital motion was demonstrated on the International Space Station by releasing charged water droplets in the vicinity of a charged knitting needle. In this investigation, the Multi-Sphere Method, an electrostatic model developed to study active spacecraft position control by Coulomb charging, is used to simulate the complex orbital motion of the droplets. When atmospheric drag is introduced, the simulated motion closely mimics that seen in the video footage of the experiment. The electrostatic force's inverse dependency on separation distance near the center of the needle lends itself to analytic predictions of the radial motion.

  7. The role of space charge in the performance of the bunching system for the ATLAS Positive Ion Injector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pardo, R.C.; Smith, R.

    1995-01-01

    The bunching system of the ATLAS Positive Ion Injector consists of a four-frequency harmonic buncher, a beam-tail removing chopper, and a 24.25 MHz spiral resonator sine-wave rebuncher. The system is designed to efficiently create beam pulses of approximately 0.25 nsec FWHM for injection into mid acceleration by the ATLAS superconducting linac. Studies of the effect of space charge on the performance of the system have been undertaken and compared to simulations as part of the design process for a new bunching system to be developed for a second ion source. Results of measurements and modeling studies indicate that the present system suffers significant bunching performance deterioration at beam currents as low as 5 eμA for 238 U 26+ at a velocity of β=0.0085. The low beam current tolerance of the present system is in reasonable agreement with computer simulation. Studies of two alternatives to the present bunching system are discussed and their limitations are explored

  8. Stabilization of enzymes in ionic liquids via modification of enzyme charge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordwald, Erik M; Kaar, Joel L

    2013-09-01

    Due to the propensity of ionic liquids (ILs) to inactivate enzymes, the development of strategies to improve enzyme utility in these solvents is critical to fully exploit ILs for biocatalysis. We have developed a strategy to broadly improve enzyme utility in ILs based on elucidating the effect of charge modifications on the function of enzymes in IL environments. Results of stability studies in aqueous-IL mixtures indicated a clear connection between the ratio of enzyme-containing positive-to-negative sites and enzyme stability in ILs. Stability studies of the effect of [BMIM][Cl] and [EMIM][EtSO4 ] on chymotrypsin specifically found an optimum ratio of positively-charged amine-to-negatively-charged acid groups (0.39). At this ratio, the half-life of chymotrypsin was increased 1.6- and 4.3-fold relative to wild-type chymotrypsin in [BMIM][Cl] and [EMIM][EtSO4 ], respectively. The half-lives of lipase and papain were similarly increased as much as 4.0 and 2.4-fold, respectively, in [BMIM][Cl] by modifying the ratio of positive-to-negative sites of each enzyme. More generally, the results of stability studies found that modifications that reduce the ratio of enzyme-containing positive-to-negative sites improve enzyme stability in ILs. Understanding the impact of charge modification on enzyme stability in ILs may ultimately be exploited to rationally engineer enzymes for improved function in IL environments. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Surface-Selective Preferential Production of Reactive Oxygen Species on Piezoelectric Ceramics for Bacterial Killing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Guoxin; Wang, Shuangying; Zhu, Ye; Zhou, Lei; Yu, Peng; Wang, Xiaolan; He, Tianrui; Chen, Junqi; Mao, Chuanbin; Ning, Chengyun

    2016-09-21

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be used to kill bacterial cells, and thus the selective generation of ROS from material surfaces is an emerging direction in antibacterial material discovery. We found the polarization of piezoelectric ceramic causes the two sides of the disk to become positively and negatively charged, which translate into cathode and anode surfaces in an aqueous solution. Because of the microelectrolysis of water, ROS are preferentially formed on the cathode surface. Consequently, the bacteria are selectively killed on the cathode surface. However, the cell experiment suggested that the level of ROS is safe for normal mammalian cells.

  10. Aggregation and charging of sulfate and amidine latex particles in the presence of oxyanions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugimoto, Takuya; Cao, Tianchi; Szilagyi, Istvan; Borkovec, Michal; Trefalt, Gregor

    2018-08-15

    Electrophoretic mobility and time resolved light scattering are used to measure the effect on charging and aggregation of amidine and sulfate latex particles of different oxyanions namely, phosphate, arsenate, sulfate, and selenate. In the case of negatively charged sulfate latex particles oxyanions represent the coions, while they represent counterions in the case of the positively charged amidine latex. Repulsive interaction between the sulfate latex surface and the coions results in weak ion specific effects on the charging and aggregation. On the other hand the interaction of oxyanions with the amidine latex surface is highly specific. The monovalent dihydrogen phosphate ion strongly adsorbs to the positively charged surface and reverses the charge of the particle. This charge reversal leads also to the restabilization of the amidine latex suspension at the intermediate phosphate concentrations. In the case of dihydrogen arsenate the adsorption to amidine latex surface is weaker and no charge reversal and restabilization occurs. Similar differences are seen between the sulfate and selenate analogues, where selenate adsorbs more strongly to the surface as compared to the sulfate ion and invokes charge reversal. The present results indicate that ion specificity is much more pronounced in the case of counterions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A study of charge transfer kinetics in dye-sensitized surface conductivity solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friedrich, Dennis

    2011-05-15

    concentration of the redox species in the electrolyte film, having the fastest decay at the lowest concentration of the redox couple. This was due to the regeneration of the oxidized dye by iodide, screening the positive charge from recombination with injected electrons. The adsorption of cations such as Li{sup +} led to a relatively weak increase of the electron lifetime, although in combination with a redox couple these effects were less clear. The replacement of the iodide/iodine redox couple by the kinetically fast ferrocene/ ferrocenium system caused a dramatic increase of the decay rates of photogenerated charge carriers in subset devices. Thus, showing the importance of the kinetically slow reduction rates of the oxidized redox couple iodide/iodine, leading to an increase of the electron lifetime by the reduction of the dye cation. The analysis of charge carrier kinetics in TiO{sub 2} powders and films displayed a decrease of the decay rate upon dye-sensitization after band-to-band excitation with laser pulses at 355 nm. In the case of ZnO films, the presence of the dye induced a significantly accelerated decay after excitation at 355 nm. In contrast to the ZnO films, ZnO nanorods displayed no such destructive influence of the dye adsorption. Furthermore, after exciting the sample at 355 nm, the decay was found to be independent of the dye and mainly depending on the recombination of electron-hole pairs and electrons with the dye cation at 355 nm and 532 nm, respectively. (orig.)

  12. Measurement of the atmospheric muon charge ratio with the OPERA detector

    OpenAIRE

    Mauri, Nicoletta

    2011-01-01

    The atmospheric muon charge ratio, defined as the number of positive over negative charged muons, is an interesting quantity for the study of high energy hadronic interactions in atmosphere and the nature of the primary cosmic rays. The measurement of the charge ratio in the TeV muon energy range allows to study the hadronic interactions in kinematic regions not yet explored at accelerators. The OPERA experiment is a hybrid electronic detector/emulsion apparatus, located in the undergroun...

  13. Characterisation of false-positive observations in botanical surveys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quentin J. Groom

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Errors in botanical surveying are a common problem. The presence of a species is easily overlooked, leading to false-absences; while misidentifications and other mistakes lead to false-positive observations. While it is common knowledge that these errors occur, there are few data that can be used to quantify and describe these errors. Here we characterise false-positive errors for a controlled set of surveys conducted as part of a field identification test of botanical skill. Surveys were conducted at sites with a verified list of vascular plant species. The candidates were asked to list all the species they could identify in a defined botanically rich area. They were told beforehand that their final score would be the sum of the correct species they listed, but false-positive errors counted against their overall grade. The number of errors varied considerably between people, some people create a high proportion of false-positive errors, but these are scattered across all skill levels. Therefore, a person’s ability to correctly identify a large number of species is not a safeguard against the generation of false-positive errors. There was no phylogenetic pattern to falsely observed species; however, rare species are more likely to be false-positive as are species from species rich genera. Raising the threshold for the acceptance of an observation reduced false-positive observations dramatically, but at the expense of more false negative errors. False-positive errors are higher in field surveying of plants than many people may appreciate. Greater stringency is required before accepting species as present at a site, particularly for rare species. Combining multiple surveys resolves the problem, but requires a considerable increase in effort to achieve the same sensitivity as a single survey. Therefore, other methods should be used to raise the threshold for the acceptance of a species. For example, digital data input systems that can verify

  14. Mass and Angular Distributions of Charged Dihadron Production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cummings, Mary Clare [Michigan U.

    1990-01-01

    Experiment 711, conducted at Fermilab. provided a unique handle towards understanding valence quark scattering by studying pairs of single. charged, high transverse momentum hadrons produced in collisions of 800 GeV /c protons on fixed metal targets. The apparatus consisted of a double-arm spectrometer. calorimetrically triggered. with high momentum resolution and a large angular acceptance for all charge states of particle pairs. The experiment was designed to select those hadron pairs that carrted most of the momentum and energy of the underlying scattered quarks and gluons. The charge of such "leading" hadrons is correlated with the charge of the quark that produced it. Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) assumes that the scattering behavior of quarks ts independent of their charge, or "flavour": Experiment 711 could test this assumption. Tilis dissertation descrtbes the analysis of the mass and angular distributions of hadron pair production for three separate charge states: +-, ++ and --. The angular distributions are found to deviate from theory predictions of flavour symmetry. Also. the mass cross sections indicate ratios of positive to negative hard-scattered particles that are larger than expected from theory. These results could warrant reconsideration of the assumptions and approximations currently made in leading-order QCD calculations.

  15. Charge exchange collisions in gases in the presence of competing processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senba, Masayoshi; British Columbia Univ., Vancouver

    1988-01-01

    The slowing down of charged particles in noble gases has been investigated theoretically from the charge exchange regime down to thermal energy. A formalism has been developed which allows one to calculate the rate of energy loss, the collision rate, the slowing down time, the neutral fraction and other quantities of interest directly from the cross sections of the atomic process involved. The formalism has been applied to the case of muons in He where two experimental observables, the fraction of the neutral species (muonium) and the muon spin depolarisation during charge exchange, have been calculated. The calculations have reproduced experimental results very well. It has also been found that the elastic process at the end of the slowing down reduces the number of charge exchange collisions drastically, thus sensitively affecting the neutral fraction and the muon spin depolarisation. (author)

  16. Interstellar Chemistry Gets More Complex With New Charged-Molecule Discovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-07-01

    Astronomers using data from the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have found the largest negatively-charged molecule yet seen in space. The discovery of the third negatively-charged molecule, called an anion, in less than a year and the size of the latest anion will force a drastic revision of theoretical models of interstellar chemistry, the astronomers say. Molecule formation Formation Process of Large, Negatively-Charged Molecule in Interstellar Space CREDIT: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF Click on image for page of graphics and detailed information "This discovery continues to add to the diversity and complexity that is already seen in the chemistry of interstellar space," said Anthony J. Remijan of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). "It also adds to the number of paths available for making the complex organic molecules and other large molecular species that may be precursors to life in the giant clouds from which stars and planets are formed," he added. Two teams of scientists found negatively-charged octatetraynyl, a chain of eight carbon atoms and one hydrogen atom, in the envelope of gas around an old, evolved star and in a cold, dark cloud of molecular gas. In both cases, the molecule had an extra electron, giving it a negative charge. About 130 neutral and about a dozen positively-charged molecules have been discovered in space, but the first negatively-charged molecule was not discovered until late last year. The largest previously-discovered negative ion found in space has six carbon atoms and one hydrogen atom. "Until recently, many theoretical models of how chemical reactions evolve in interstellar space have largely neglected the presence of anions. This can no longer be the case, and this means that there are many more ways to build large organic molecules in cosmic environments than have been explored," said Jan M. Hollis of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Ultraviolet light from stars can

  17. Measurements of Charging of Apollo 17 Lunar Dust Grains by Electron Impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Mian M.; Tankosic, Dragana; Spann, James F.; Dube, Michael J.

    2008-01-01

    It is well known since the Apollo missions that the lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of micron size dust grains with unusually high adhesive characteristics. The dust grains observed to be levitated and transported on the lunar surface are believed to have a hazardous impact on the robotic and human missions to the Moon. The observed dust phenomena are attributed to the lunar dust being charged positively during the day by UV photoelectric emissions, and negatively during the night by the solar wind electrons. The current dust charging and the levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena, with the uncertainty of dust charging processes and the equilibrium potentials of the individual dust grains. It is well recognized that the charging properties of individual dust grains are substantially different from those determined from measurements made on bulk materials that are currently available. An experimental facility has been developed in the Dusty Plasma Laboratory at MSFC for investigating the charging and optical properties of individual micron/sub-micron size positively or negatively charged dust grains by levitating them in an electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. In this paper, we present the laboratory measurements on charging of Apollo 17 individual lunar dust grains by a low energy electron beam. The charging rates and the equilibrium potentials produced by direct electron impact and by secondary electron emission process are discussed.

  18. Positive feedback loop between introductions of non-native marine species and cultivation of oysters in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mineur, Frederic; Le Roux, Auguste; Maggs, Christine A; Verlaque, Marc

    2014-12-01

    With globalization, agriculture and aquaculture activities are increasingly affected by diseases that are spread through movement of crops and stock. Such movements are also associated with the introduction of non-native species via hitchhiking individual organisms. The oyster industry, one of the most important forms of marine aquaculture, embodies these issues. In Europe disease outbreaks affecting cultivated populations of the naturalized oyster Crassostrea gigas caused a major disruption of production in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Mitigation procedures involved massive imports of stock from the species' native range in the northwestern Pacific from 1971 to 1977. We assessed the role stock imports played in the introduction of non-native marine species (including pathogens) from the northwestern Pacific to Europe through a methodological and critical appraisal of record data. The discovery rate of non-native species (a proxy for the introduction rate) from 1966 to 2012 suggests a continuous vector activity over the entire period. Disease outbreaks that have been affecting oyster production since 2008 may be a result of imports from the northwestern Pacific, and such imports are again being considered as an answer to the crisis. Although successful as a remedy in the short and medium terms, such translocations may bring new diseases that may trigger yet more imports (self-reinforcing or positive feedback loop) and lead to the introduction of more hitchhikers. Although there is a legal framework to prevent or reduce these introductions, existing procedures should be improved. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

  19. The propagation of GPS signals through electrically charged plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méndez Harper, J.; Steffes, P. G.; Dufek, J.

    2017-12-01

    Probing the interior dynamics of eruptive columns using electrostatic processes generated within the flows themselves has garnered much interest in the recent years. Indeed, large eruptions are often accompanied by brilliant displays of lightning, testifying to the high potentials that can be accumulated by a diverse set of electrification mechanisms. Unfortunately, lightning on its own cannot be used as a general remote sensing tool because not all volcanic eruptions produce spark discharges. As pointed out by McNutt and Williams, 2010, only 30-35% of volcanoes maintain lightning storms. The absence of lightning in two thirds of all eruptions indicates that most volcanoes produce flows with 1) inefficient or limited granular charging processes or 2) dynamics that do not promote the charge separation that sets up coherent electric fields needed for lightning. Yet, even if the prerequisites for spark discharges are not met, it is difficult to argue for plumes which are completely electrostatically neutral. The problems permeating passive electromagnetic sensing may be overcome through the use of active methods which involve interrogating charged volcanic plumes with electromagnetic radiation. The scattering of electromagnetic waves has been a common method to retrieve the physical properties of collections of particles, specifically those which cannot be accessed directly. By modifying the standard Mie formulation, Klavcka et al., 2007 showed that surface charge may influence the extinction properties of grains if such particles are much smaller than the wavelength of the incident radiation. Based on this model, we posit that the properties of charged clouds of particles can be readily assessed using robust, existing infrastructure-the Global Positioning System. In the present work, we numerically explore the manner in which electrostatic charge on particles affect the propagation of electromagnetic waves through volcanic plumes. We show that, for the range of

  20. A multi-passage spectrometer for charge-state separation at MLLTRAP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, Christine; Gartzke, Eva; Habs, Dietrich; Krug, Kevin; Szerypo, Jerzy; Thirolf, Peter [Fakultaet fuer Physik, LMU - Muenchen (Germany); Kolhinen, Veli [Department of Physics, University of Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

    2010-07-01

    MLLTRAP is a Penning trap mass spectrometer facility which is currently being commissioned at the Maier-Leibnitz Tandem Accelerator Laboratory in Garching. Here, atomic mass values are determined by comparison of cyclotron frequencies, {omega}{sub c}=qB/m, of stored ions with mass m and charge q in a strong magnetic field B, relative to those of well-known ion species. One of the future goals of MLLTRAP is to utilize highly-charged ions for an improvement in the achievable mass accuracy {delta}m/m. For this purpose, singly-charged ions will have to be injected into a charge-breeding device, such as an EBIT, and transferred back towards the Penning traps, while being q/A selected. A multi-passage-spectrometer (MPS) is being built to fulfill these tasks. It consists of a fast-ramping, round-pole dipole magnet with a four-way electrostatic mirror system. In this presentation, the planned MLLTRAP setup focussing on the q/A-selection with the MPS system is presented.

  1. Experimental dead time corrections for a linear position-sensitive proportional counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yelon, W.B.; Tompson, C.W.; Mildner, D.F.R.; Berliner, R.; Missouri Univ., Columbia

    1984-01-01

    Two simple counters included in the charge-digitization circuitry of a position-sensitive proportional counter using the charge division method for position encoding have enabled us to determine the dead time losses for the system. An interesting positional dependence of the dead time tau is observed, which agrees with a simple model. The system enables us to correct the experimental data for dead time and to be indifferent to the relatively slow analog-to-digital converters used in the system. (orig.)

  2. Label-Free Platform for MicroRNA Detection Based on the Fluorescence Quenching of Positively Charged Gold Nanoparticles to Silver Nanoclusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Xiangmin; Cheng, Zhiyuan; Ma, Haiyan; Li, Zongbing; Xue, Ning; Wang, Po

    2018-01-16

    A novel strategy was developed for microRNA-155 (miRNA-155) detection based on the fluorescence quenching of positively charged gold nanoparticles [(+)AuNPs] to Ag nanoclusters (AgNCs). In the designed system, DNA-stabilized Ag nanoclusters (DNA/AgNCs) were introduced as fluorescent probes, and DNA-RNA heteroduplexes were formed upon the addition of target miRNA-155. Meanwhile, the (+)AuNPs could be electrostatically adsorbed on the negatively charged single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or DNA-RNA heteroduplexes to quench the fluorescence signal. In the presence of duplex-specific nuclease (DSN), DNA-RNA heteroduplexes became a substrate for the enzymatic hydrolysis of the DNA strand to yield a fluorescence signal due to the diffusion of AgNCs away from (+)AuNPs. Under the optimal conditions, (+)AuNPs displayed very high quenching efficiency to AgNCs, which paved the way for ultrasensitive detection with a low detection limit of 33.4 fM. In particular, the present strategy demonstrated excellent specificity and selectivity toward the detection of target miRNA against control miRNAs, including mutated miRNA-155, miRNA-21, miRNA-141, let-7a, and miRNA-182. Moreover, the practical application value of the system was confirmed by the evaluation of the expression levels of miRNA-155 in clinical serum samples with satisfactory results, suggesting that the proposed sensing platform is promising for applications in disease diagnosis as well as the fundamental research of biochemistry.

  3. Tunability of Open-Shell Character, Charge Asymmetry, and Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Covalently Linked (Hetero)Phenalenyl Dimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minamida, Yuka; Kishi, Ryohei; Fukuda, Kotaro; Matsui, Hiroshi; Takamuku, Shota; Yamane, Masaki; Tonami, Takayoshi; Nakano, Masayoshi

    2018-02-06

    Tunability of the open-shell character, charge asymmetry, and third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of covalently linked (hetero)phenalenyl dimers are investigated by using the density functional theory method. By changing the molecular species X and substitution position (i, j) for the linker part, a variety of intermonomer distances R and relative alignments between the phenalenyl dimers can be realized from the geometry optimizations, resulting in a wide-range tuning of diradical character y and charge asymmetry. It is found that the static second hyperpolarizabilities along the stacking direction, γ yyyy , are one-order enhanced for phenalenyl dimer systems exhibiting intermediate y, a feature that is in good agreement with the "y-γ correlation". By replacing the central carbon atoms of the phenalenyl rings with a boron or a nitrogen, we have also designed covalently linked heterophenalenyl dimers. The introduction of such a charge asymmetry to the open-shell systems, which leads to closed-shell ionic ground states, is found to further enhance the γ yyyy values of the systems having longer intermonomer distance R with intermediate ionic character, that is, charge asymmetry. The present results demonstrate a promising potential of covalently linked NLO dimers with intermediate open-shell/ionic characters as a new building block of highly efficient NLO systems. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. A charge-driven molecular water pump.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Xiaojing; Li, Jingyuan; Lu, Hangjun; Wan, Rongzheng; Li, Jichen; Hu, Jun; Fang, Haiping

    2007-11-01

    Understanding and controlling the transport of water across nanochannels is of great importance for designing novel molecular devices, machines and sensors and has wide applications, including the desalination of seawater. Nanopumps driven by electric or magnetic fields can transport ions and magnetic quanta, but water is charge-neutral and has no magnetic moment. On the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, we propose a design for a molecular water pump. The design uses a combination of charges positioned adjacent to a nanopore and is inspired by the structure of channels in the cellular membrane that conduct water in and out of the cell (aquaporins). The remarkable pumping ability is attributed to the charge dipole-induced ordering of water confined in the nanochannels, where water can be easily driven by external fields in a concerted fashion. These findings may provide possibilities for developing water transport devices that function without osmotic pressure or a hydrostatic pressure gradient.

  5. The impact of Au doping on the charge carrier dynamics at the interfaces between cationic porphyrin and silver nanoclusters

    KAUST Repository

    Almansaf, Abdulkhaleq A.

    2017-02-04

    We explore the impact of Au doping on the charge transfer dynamics between the positively charged porphyrin (TMPyP) and negatively charged silver nanoclusters (Ag29 NCs). Our transient absorption (TA) spectroscopic results demonstrate that the interfacial charge transfer, the intersystem crossing and the triplet state lifetime of porphyrin can be tuned by the doping of Au atoms in Ag29 NCs. Additionally, we found that the electrostatic interaction between the negative charge of the cluster and the positive charge on the TMPyP is the driving force that brings them close to each other for complex formation and subsequently facilitates the transfer process.

  6. The impact of Au doping on the charge carrier dynamics at the interfaces between cationic porphyrin and silver nanoclusters

    KAUST Repository

    Almansaf, Abdulkhaleq A.; Parida, Manas R.; Besong, Tabot M.D.; Maity, Partha; Bootharaju, Megalamane Siddaramappa; Bakr, Osman; Mohammed, Omar F.

    2017-01-01

    We explore the impact of Au doping on the charge transfer dynamics between the positively charged porphyrin (TMPyP) and negatively charged silver nanoclusters (Ag29 NCs). Our transient absorption (TA) spectroscopic results demonstrate that the interfacial charge transfer, the intersystem crossing and the triplet state lifetime of porphyrin can be tuned by the doping of Au atoms in Ag29 NCs. Additionally, we found that the electrostatic interaction between the negative charge of the cluster and the positive charge on the TMPyP is the driving force that brings them close to each other for complex formation and subsequently facilitates the transfer process.

  7. Multiple void formation in plasmas containing multispecies charged grains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Y. H.; Chen, Z. Y.; Bogaerts, A.; Yu, M. Y.

    2006-01-01

    Self-organized separation of charged-dust species in two-dimensional dusty plasmas is studied by means of molecular-dynamics simulation. The multispecies dust grains, interacting through a screened Coulomb potential with a long-range attractive component, are confined by an external quadratic potential and subjected to a radially outward ion drag force. It is found that, in general, the species are spatially separated by bandlike dust-free (or void) regions, and grains of the same species tend to populate a common shell. At large ion drag and/or large plasma screening, a central disklike void as well as concentric bandlike voids separating the different species appear. Because of the outward drag and the attractive component of the dust-dust interaction forces, highly asymmetrical states consisting of species-separated dust clumps can also exist despite the fact that all the forces are either radial or central

  8. Effects of charge density and hydrophobicity of poly(amido amine)s for non-viral gene delivery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Piest, Martin; Engbersen, Johannes F.J.

    2010-01-01

    High cationic charge densities in polymeric vectors result in tight DNA condensation, leading to small highly positively charged polyplexes which show generally high cellular uptake in vitro. However, high cationic charge densities also introduce membrane-disruptive properties to the polymers,

  9. Computational Approach to Electron Charge Transfer Reactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jónsson, Elvar Örn

    -molecular mechanics scheme, and tools to analyse statistical data and generate relative free energies and free energy surfaces. The methodology is applied to several charge transfer species and reactions in chemical environments - chemical in the sense that solvent, counter ions and substrate surfaces are taken...... in to account - which directly influence the reactants and resulting reaction through both physical and chemical interactions. All methods are though general and can be applied to different types of chemistry. First, the basis of the various theoretical tools is presented and applied to several test systems...... and asymmetric charge transfer reactions between several first-row transition metals in water. The results are compared to experiments and rationalised with classical analytic expressions. Shortcomings of the methods are accounted for with clear steps towards improved accuracy. Later the analysis is extended...

  10. On the secondary charging effects and structure of mesospheric dust particles impacting on rocket probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Havnes

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available The dust probe DUSTY, first launched during the summer of 1994 (flights ECT–02 and ECT–07 from Andøya Rocket Range, northern Norway, was the first probe to unambiguously detect heavy charged mesospheric aerosols, from hereon referred to as dust. In ECT–02 the probe detected negatively charged dust particles in the height interval of 83 to 88.5 km. In this flight, the lower grid in the detector (Grid 2 measures both positive and negative currents in various regions, and we find that the relationship between the current measurements of Grid 2 and the bottom plate can only be explained by influence from secondary charge production on Grid 2. In ECT–07, which had a large coning, positive currents reaching the top grid of the probe were interpreted as due to the impact of positively charged dust particles. We have now reanalyzed the data from ECT–07 and arrived at the conclusion that the measured positive currents to this grid must have been mainly due to secondary charging effects from the impacting dust particles. The grid consists of a set of parallel wires crossed with an identical set of wires on top of it, and we find that if the observed currents were created from the direct impact of charged dust particles, then they should be very weakly modulated at four times the rocket spin rate ωR. Observations show, however, that the observed currents are strongly modulated at 2ωR. We cannot reproduce the observed large modulations of the impact currents in the dust layer if the currents are due only to the transfer of the charges on the impacted dust particles. Based on the results of recent ice cluster impact secondary charging experiments by Tomsic (2003, which found that a small fraction of the ice clusters, when impacting with nearly grazing incidence, carried away one negative charge −1e, we have arrived at the conclusion that similar, but significantly more effective, charging effects must be predominantly responsible for the

  11. Forward charge distributions associated with hadronically produced J/psi particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budd, H.S.

    1983-01-01

    We have measured the forward charge as a function of x/sub F/ of the psi for events produced by 225 Gev/c π-Be interactions. The forward charge is the average difference between the number of positive hadrons and negative hadrons produced in the forward hemisphere. The standard Drell-Yan model predicts that the forward charge should become less negative as the x/sub F/ of the J/psi increases. The measured forward charge becomes more negative as the x/sub F/ of the J/psi increases although it is consistent with being flat as a function of x/sub F/. Hence the data is not consistent with any Drell-Yan type model which assumes the forward charge is not strongly dependent on the hadronic energy left over after the J/psi is formed. 45 references

  12. Limit on the electric charge of antihydrogen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Capra, A., E-mail: acapra@triumf.ca; Amole, C. [York University, Department of Physics and Astronomy (Canada); Ashkezari, M. D. [Simon Fraser University, Department of Physics (Canada); Baquero-Ruiz, M. [University of California at Berkeley, Department of Physics (United States); Bertsche, W. [University of Manchester, School of Physics and Astronomy (United Kingdom); Butler, E. [Imperial College, Centre for Cold Matter (United Kingdom); Cesar, C. L. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Física (Brazil); Charlton, M.; Eriksson, S. [Swansea University, Department of Physics, College of Science (United Kingdom); Fajans, J. [University of California at Berkeley, Department of Physics (United States); Friesen, T. [University of Calgary, Department of Physics and Astronomy (Canada); Fujiwara, M. C.; Gill, D. R. [TRIUMF (Canada); Gutierrez, A. [University of British Columbia, Department of Physics and Astronomy (Canada); Hangst, J. S. [CERN, Physics Department (Switzerland); Hardy, W. N. [University of British Columbia, Department of Physics and Astronomy (Canada); Hayden, M. E. [Simon Fraser University, Department of Physics (Canada); Isaac, C. A. [Swansea University, Department of Physics, College of Science (United Kingdom); Jonsell, S. [Stockholm University, Department of Physics (Sweden); Kurchaninov, L. [TRIUMF (Canada); and others

    2017-11-15

    The ALPHA collaboration has successfully demonstrated the production and the confinement of cold antihydrogen, H̅. An analysis of trapping data allowed a stringent limit to be placed on the electric charge of the simplest antiatom. Charge neutrality of matter is known to a very high precision, hence a neutrality limit of H̅ provides a test of CPT invariance. The experimental technique is based on the measurement of the deflection of putatively charged H̅ in an electric field. The tendency for trapped H̅ atoms to be displaced by electrostatic fields is measured and compared to the results of a detailed simulation of H̅ dynamics in the trap. An extensive survey of the systematic errors was performed, and this work focuses on those due to the silicon vertex detector, which is the device used to determine the H̅ annihilation position. The limit obtained on the charge of the H̅ atom is Q = (−1.3 ± 1.8 ± 0.4) × 10{sup −8}, representing the first precision measurement with H̅ [1].

  13. Structure-charge mobility relation for hexabenzocoronene derivatives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirkpatrick, James [Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz 55128 (Germany); Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom); Marcon, Valentina; Kremer, Kurt [Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz 55128 (Germany); Nelson, Jenny [Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom); Andrienko, Denis

    2008-05-15

    Charge mobilities of several derivatives of discotic liquid crystals have been determined by combining three methods into one scheme: (i) quantum chemical methods for the calculation of molecular electronic structures and reorganization energies (ii) molecular dynamics for simulation of the relative positions and orientations of molecules in a columnar mesophase, and (iii) kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and Master Equation approach to simulate charge transport. Applying this scheme to differently substituted hexabenzocoronene derivatives we reproduce the trends and magnitudes of mobilities as measured by pulse-radiolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity (PR-TRMC) and connect mobility directly to the microscopic morphology of the columns. Our study also shows that it is possible to understand and reproduce experimental charge transport parameters, and, in some cases, accurately predict them. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  14. Two investigational glycylcyclines, DMG-DMDOT and DMG-MINO. Antimicrobial activity studies against gram-positive species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, D M; Jones, R N

    1996-01-01

    DMG-DMDOT (CL-331,002 OR CL-331,928) and DMG-MINO (CL-329,998 or CL-344,677) are two new semisynthetic tetracyclines called glycylcyclines, with a broad spectrum of activity and includes Enterobacteriaceae, Gram-positive cocci, JK diphtheroids, and Bacillus cereus. Potent activity was demonstrated against all Streptococcus spp. strains [minimum inhibitory concentrations] (MIC90S) 0.06-0.25 micrograms/ml) and staphylococci (oxacillin susceptible ans resistant; MIC90S 0.12-2 micrograms/ml). Both glycylcyclines (MIC90, 0.06 micrograms/ml) were more potent than minocycline (MIC90 8 micrograms/ml) against Enterococcus faecium, many of which were vancomycin resistant (116 strains). Organisms with minocycline MICs at > or = 8 micrograms/ml (Staphylococcus aureus, enterococci, beta-hemolytic streptococci, and pneumococci) had glycylcycline MIC results ranging from 0.06 to 0.5 micrograms/ml (e.g., apparent use against existing tetracycline-resistance phenotypes). Drugs in this class appear promising for therapy of infections caused by Gram-positive species now testing resistant to contemporary antimicrobial agents, and further development of compounds in this class is encouraged.

  15. Theoretical studies of optics and charge transport in organic conducting oligomers and polymers: Rational design of improved transparent and conducting polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchison, Geoffrey Rogers

    Theoretical studies on a variety of oligo- and polyheterocycles elucidate their optical and charge transport properties, suggesting new, improved transparent conductive polymers. First-principles calculations provide accurate methodologies for predicting both optical band gaps of neutral and cationic oligomers and intrinsic charge transfer rates. Multidimensional analysis reveals important motifs in chemical tailorability of oligoheterocycle optical and charge transport properties. The results suggest new directions for design of novel materials. Using both finite oligomer and infinite polymer calculations, the optical band gaps in polyheterocycles follow a modified particle-in-a-box formalism, scaling approximately as 1/N (where N is the number of monomer units) in short chains, saturating for long chains. Calculations demonstrate that band structure changes upon heteroatom substitution, (e.g., from polythiophene to polypyrrole) derive from heteroatom electron affinity. Further investigation of chemical variability in substituted oligoheterocycles using multidimensional statistics reveals the interplay between heteroatom and substituent in correlations between structure and redox/optical properties of neutral and cationic species. A linear correlation between band gaps of neutral and cationic species upon oxidation of conjugated oligomers, shows redshifts of optical absorption for most species and blueshifts for small band gap species. Interstrand charge-transport studies focus on two contributors to hopping-style charge transfer rates: internal reorganization energy and the electronic coupling matrix element. Statistical analysis of chemical variability of reorganization energies in oligoheterocycles proves the importance of reorganization energy in determining intrinsic charge transfer rates (e.g., charge mobility in unsubstituted oligothiophenes). Computed bandwidths across several oligothiophene crystal packing motifs show similar electron and hole bandwidths

  16. Charge states of ions, and mechanisms of charge ordering transitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pickett, Warren E.; Quan, Yundi; Pardo, Victor

    2014-07-01

    To gain insight into the mechanism of charge ordering transitions, which conventionally are pictured as a disproportionation of an ion M as 2Mn+→M(n+1)+ + M(n-1)+, we (1) review and reconsider the charge state (or oxidation number) picture itself, (2) introduce new results for the putative charge ordering compound AgNiO2 and the dual charge state insulator AgO, and (3) analyze the cationic occupations of the actual (not formal) charge, and work to reconcile the conundrums that arise. We establish that several of the clearest cases of charge ordering transitions involve no disproportion (no charge transfer between the cations, and hence no charge ordering), and that the experimental data used to support charge ordering can be accounted for within density functional-based calculations that contain no charge transfer between cations. We propose that the charge state picture retains meaning and importance, at least in many cases, if one focuses on Wannier functions rather than atomic orbitals. The challenge of modeling charge ordering transitions with model Hamiltonians isdiscussed.

  17. Impact of charge carrier injection on single-chain photophysics of conjugated polymers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hofmann, Felix J.; Vogelsang, Jan, E-mail: jan.vogelsang@physik.uni-regensburg.de; Lupton, John M. [Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg (Germany)

    2016-06-27

    Charges in conjugated polymer materials have a strong impact on the photophysics and their interaction with the primary excited state species has to be taken into account in understanding device properties. Here, we employ single-molecule spectroscopy to unravel the influence of charges on several photoluminescence (PL) observables. The charges are injected either stochastically by a photochemical process or deterministically in a hole-injection sandwich device configuration. We find that upon charge injection, besides a blue-shift of the PL emission and a shortening of the PL lifetime due to quenching and blocking of the lowest-energy chromophores, the non-classical photon arrival time distribution of the multichromophoric chain is modified towards a more classical distribution. Surprisingly, the fidelity of photon antibunching deteriorates upon charging, whereas one would actually expect the opposite: the number of chromophores to be reduced. A qualitative model is presented to explain the observed PL changes. The results are of interest to developing a microscopic understanding of the intrinsic charge-exciton quenching interaction in devices.

  18. New contribution to the species-rich genus Euplotes: Morphology, ontogeny and systematic position of two species (Ciliophora; Euplotia).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Ying; Fan, Yangbo; Luo, Xiaotian; El-Serehy, Hamed A; Bourland, William; Chen, Xiangrui

    2018-06-01

    The morphology, ontogeny and phylogeny of two Euplotes species, E. estuarinus sp. nov. and a population of E. platystoma Dragesco and Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986, both collected from tropical brackish waters in south China, were investigated based on living morphology, ciliary pattern and molecular data. Euplotes estuarinus sp. nov. is small (about 60 × 40 μm in vivo), has a dargyrome of the double-eurystomus type, and the transverse cirri are arranged in two groups, with two left and three right ones. The original description of the poorly known species, E. platystoma, is brief, and the species was never investigated using live observation and molecular methods Hence, we provided a detailed redescription. Some stages of their morphogenesis were observed which proceed in the same pattern as in their congeners. The new species E. estuarinus sp. nov. clusters with E. curdsi, differing only by 1 bp in their SSU rRNA gene sequences, which is likely due to the recent speciation event and the limited resolution of the SSU rRNA gene at species level in this group as the two species are clearly morphologically distinct. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  19. Detection of non-absorbing charge dynamics via refractive index change in dye-sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuwahara, Shota; Hata, Hiroaki; Taya, Soichiro; Maeda, Naotaka; Shen, Qing; Toyoda, Taro; Katayama, Kenji

    2013-04-28

    The carrier dynamics in dye-sensitized solar cells was investigated by using the transient grating, in addition to the transient absorption method and transient photocurrent method on the order of microseconds to seconds. The signals for the same sample were obtained under a short-circuit condition to compare the carrier dynamics via refractive index change with the transient photocurrent measurement. Optically silent carrier dynamics by transient absorption have been successfully observed via a refractive index change. The corresponding signal components were originated from the charge dynamics at the solid/liquid interface, especially on the liquid side; rearrangement or diffusion motion of charged redox species occurred when the injected electrons were trapped at the TiO2 surface and when the electron-electrolyte recombination occurred at the interface. The assignments were confirmed from the dependence on the viscosity of the solvent and the presence of 4-tert-butyl pyridine. As the viscosity of the solvent increased, the rearrangement and the motion of the charged redox species were delayed. Since the rearrangement dynamics was changed by the presence of 4-tert-butyl pyridine, it affected not only the TiO2 surface but also the redox species close to the interface.

  20. Discrete element method modeling of the triboelectric charging of polyethylene particles: Can particle size distribution and segregation reduce the charging?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konopka, Ladislav; Kosek, Juraj

    2015-01-01

    Polyethylene particles of various sizes are present in industrial gas-dispersion reactors and downstream processing units. The contact of the particles with a device wall as well as the mutual particle collisions cause electrons on the particle surface to redistribute in the system. The undesirable triboelectric charging results in several operational problems and safety risks in industrial systems, for example in the fluidized-bed polymerization reactor. We studied the charging of polyethylene particles caused by the particle-particle interactions in gas. Our model employs the Discrete Element Method (DEM) describing the particle dynamics and incorporates the ‘Trapped Electron Approach’ as the physical basis for the considered charging mechanism. The model predicts the particle charge distribution for systems with various particle size distributions and various level of segregation. Simulation results are in a qualitative agreement with experimental observations of similar particulate systems specifically in two aspects: 1) Big particles tend to gain positive charge and small particles the negative one. 2) The wider the particle size distribution is, the more pronounced is the charging process. Our results suggest that not only the size distribution, but also the effect of the spatial segregation of the polyethylene particles significantly influence the resulting charge distribution ‘generated’ in the system. The level of particle segregation as well as the particle size distribution of polyethylene particles can be in practice adjusted by the choice of supported catalysts, by the conditions in the fluidized-bed polymerization reactor and by the fluid dynamics. We also attempt to predict how the reactor temperature affects the triboelectric charging of particles. (paper)

  1. Resonance behavior in the presence of space charge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Month, M.; Weng, W.T.

    1983-01-01

    An analysis is presented of the resonance behavior of particle beams in the presence of space charge fields. Since self-consistent requirements are ignored, the results describe onset or early behavior. It is shown that in a beam of uniform current resonances excited by magnetic field errors are stabilized by the detuning effect of the self-field space charge force. This situation is changed when a radiofrequency accelerating field is applied. As beam bunching results after rf turn-on, the space charge force becomes modulated along the bunches, vanishing at the ends. At these regions of small or vanishing space charge, stabilization from non-linear detuning tends to disappear, thus leaving particles susceptible to resonance blow-up. This picture of the effect of beam bunching can be studied by considering the phase space structure for particles at different positions along the bunches. A somewhat unusual conclusion is made on the use of this analysis to model beam capture in a synchrotron at low energy

  2. Long-range interaction between heterogeneously charged membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jho, Y S; Brewster, R; Safran, S A; Pincus, P A

    2011-04-19

    Despite their neutrality, surfaces or membranes with equal amounts of positive and negative charge can exhibit long-range electrostatic interactions if the surface charge is heterogeneous; this can happen when the surface charges form finite-size domain structures. These domains can be formed in lipid membranes where the balance of the different ranges of strong but short-ranged hydrophobic interactions and longer-ranged electrostatic repulsion result in a finite, stable domain size. If the domain size is large enough, oppositely charged domains in two opposing surfaces or membranes can be strongly correlated by the electrostatic interactions; these correlations give rise to an attractive interaction of the two membranes or surfaces over separations on the order of the domain size. We use numerical simulations to demonstrate the existence of strong attractions at separations of tens of nanometers. Large line tensions result in larger domains but also increase the charge density within the domain. This promotes correlations and, as a result, increases the intermembrane attraction. On the other hand, increasing the salt concentration increases both the domain size and degree of domain anticorrelation, but the interactions are ultimately reduced due to increased screening. The result is a decrease in the net attraction as salt concentration is increased. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  3. Neoclassical theory of elementary charges with spin of 1/2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Babin, Anatoli; Figotin, Alexander [Department of Mathematics University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-3875 (United States)

    2014-08-15

    We advance here our neoclassical theory of elementary charges by integrating into it the concept of spin of 1/2. The developed spinorial version of our theory has many important features identical to those of the Dirac theory such as the gyromagnetic ratio, expressions for currents including the spin current, and antimatter states. In our theory, the concepts of charge and anticharge relate naturally to their “spin” in its rest frame in two opposite directions. An important difference with the Dirac theory is that both the charge and anticharge energies are positive whereas their frequencies have opposite signs.

  4. Performance on the low charge state laser ion source in BNL

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okamura, M.; Alessi, J.; Beebe, E.; Costanzo, M.; DeSanto, L.; Jamilkowski, J.; Kanesue, T.; Lambiase, R.; Lehn, D.; Liaw, C. J.; McCafferty, D.; Morris, J.; Olsen, R.; Pikin, A.; Raparia, D.; Steszyn, A.; Ikeda, S.

    2015-09-07

    On March 2014, a Laser Ion Source (LIS) was commissioned which delivers high-brightness, low-charge-state heavy ions for the hadron accelerator complex in Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Since then, the LIS has provided many heavy ion species successfully. The low-charge-state (mostly singly charged) beams are injected to the Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS), where ions are then highly ionized to fit to the following accelerator’s Q/M acceptance, like Au32+. Recently we upgraded the LIS to be able to provide two different beams into EBIS on a pulse-to-pulse basis. Now the LIS is simultaneously providing beams for both the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL).

  5. Battery charging control methods, electric vehicle charging methods, battery charging apparatuses and rechargeable battery systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuffner, Francis K [Richland, WA; Kintner-Meyer, Michael C. W. [Richland, WA; Hammerstrom, Donald J [West Richland, WA; Pratt, Richard M [Richland, WA

    2012-05-22

    Battery charging control methods, electric vehicle charging methods, battery charging apparatuses and rechargeable battery systems. According to one aspect, a battery charging control method includes accessing information regarding a presence of at least one of a surplus and a deficiency of electrical energy upon an electrical power distribution system at a plurality of different moments in time, and using the information, controlling an adjustment of an amount of the electrical energy provided from the electrical power distribution system to a rechargeable battery to charge the rechargeable battery.

  6. Charge imbalance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarke, J.

    1981-01-01

    This article provides a long theoretical development of the main ideas of charge imbalance in superconductors. Concepts of charge imbalance and quasiparticle charge are introduced, especially in regards to the use of tunnel injection in producing and detecting charge imbalance. Various mechanisms of charge relaxation are discussed, including inelastic scattering processes, elastic scattering in the presence of energy-gap anisotropy, and various pair-breaking mechanisms. In each case, present theories are reviewed in comparison with experimental data

  7. The grain charging and the dust acoustic wave instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varma, Ram K.

    2001-01-01

    The stability of the steady charging state of the assembly of dust grains in a plasma is analyzed using, besides the equations of continuity and momentum balance, also the equations of thermal energy balance with the grain charging terms for both the electron and ion species. The grain charging terms account for the energy exchange between the dust grains and the electron and ion fluids. The grains are taken to be immobile for the purpose of this analysis. Two limiting cases are analyzed: (i) f(≡4πn d λ D 2 a) >1 (n d is the dust number density, λ D plasma Debye length, and a, the grain radius). The steady grain charge state is found to be stable in the case f o is unaffected. On the other hand, in the limit f>>1, the state is found to be unstable provided γ q (≡q o e/aT e ) e -T i )/T e (T e , T i are electron and ion temperatures). A coherent charging of the dust grains results as a consequence of this instability until γ q ≅(1/2) (T e -T i )/T i . Next, by letting the grain charges be mobile, so that the perturbation of dust number density is nonzero, we examine the stability of the dust-acoustic wave (DAW). The DAW is found to be unstable, also in the f>>1 case, while stable in the f<<1. The instability of the DAW also implies a concomitant grain charge growth, which would again be of a coherent nature

  8. Multistage charged particle accelerator, with high-vacuum insulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holl, P.

    1976-01-01

    A multistage charged-particle accelerator for operating with accelerating voltages higher than 150 kV is described. The device consists essentially of a high-voltage insulator, a source for producing charged particles, a Wehnelt cylinder, an anode, and a post-accelerating tube containing stack-wise positioned post-accelerating electrodes. A high vacuum is used for insulating the parts carrying the high voltages, and at least one cylindrical screen surrounding these parts is interposed between them and the vacuum vessel, which can itself also function as a cylindrical screen

  9. DART: A simulation code for charged particle beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.C.; Barr, W.L.; Moir, R.W.

    1989-01-01

    This paper presents a recently modified version of the 2-D code, DART, which can simulate the behavior of a beam of charged particles whose trajectories are determined by electric and magnetic fields. This code was originally used to design laboratory-scale and full-scale beam direct converters. Since then, its utility has been expanded to allow more general applications. The simulation includes space charge, secondary electrons, and the ionization of neutral gas. A beam can contain up to nine superimposed beamlets of different energy and species. The calculation of energy conversion efficiency and the method of specifying the electrode geometry are described. Basic procedures for using the code are given, and sample input and output fields are shown. 7 refs., 18 figs

  10. Protein Charge and Mass Contribute to the Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Protein-Protein Interactions in a Minimal Proteome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yu; Wang, Hong; Nussinov, Ruth; Ma, Buyong

    2013-01-01

    We constructed and simulated a ‘minimal proteome’ model using Langevin dynamics. It contains 206 essential protein types which were compiled from the literature. For comparison, we generated six proteomes with randomized concentrations. We found that the net charges and molecular weights of the proteins in the minimal genome are not random. The net charge of a protein decreases linearly with molecular weight, with small proteins being mostly positively charged and large proteins negatively charged. The protein copy numbers in the minimal genome have the tendency to maximize the number of protein-protein interactions in the network. Negatively charged proteins which tend to have larger sizes can provide large collision cross-section allowing them to interact with other proteins; on the other hand, the smaller positively charged proteins could have higher diffusion speed and are more likely to collide with other proteins. Proteomes with random charge/mass populations form less stable clusters than those with experimental protein copy numbers. Our study suggests that ‘proper’ populations of negatively and positively charged proteins are important for maintaining a protein-protein interaction network in a proteome. It is interesting to note that the minimal genome model based on the charge and mass of E. Coli may have a larger protein-protein interaction network than that based on the lower organism M. pneumoniae. PMID:23420643

  11. Performance of high-resolution position-sensitive detectors developed for storage-ring decay experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, T.; Suzaki, F.; Izumikawa, T.; Miyazawa, S.; Morimoto, K.; Suzuki, T.; Tokanai, F.; Furuki, H.; Ichihashi, N.; Ichikawa, C.; Kitagawa, A.; Kuboki, T.; Momota, S.; Nagae, D.; Nagashima, M.; Nakamura, Y.; Nishikiori, R.; Niwa, T.; Ohtsubo, T.; Ozawa, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Position-sensitive detectors were developed for storage-ring decay spectroscopy. • Fiber scintillation and silicon strip detectors were tested with heavy ion beams. • A new fiber scintillation detector showed an excellent position resolution. • Position and energy detection by silicon strip detectors enable full identification. -- Abstract: As next generation spectroscopic tools, heavy-ion cooler storage rings will be a unique application of highly charged RI beam experiments. Decay spectroscopy of highly charged rare isotopes provides us important information relevant to the stellar conditions, such as for the s- and r-process nucleosynthesis. In-ring decay products of highly charged RI will be momentum-analyzed and reach a position-sensitive detector set-up located outside of the storage orbit. To realize such in-ring decay experiments, we have developed and tested two types of high-resolution position-sensitive detectors: silicon strips and scintillating fibers. The beam test experiments resulted in excellent position resolutions for both detectors, which will be available for future storage-ring experiments

  12. Theory of space-charge polarization for determining ionic constants of electrolytic solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawada, Atsushi

    2007-06-01

    A theoretical expression of the complex dielectric constant attributed to space-charge polarization has been derived under an electric field calculated using Poisson's equation considering the effects of bound charges on ions. The frequency dependence of the complex dielectric constant of chlorobenzene solutions doped with tetrabutylammonium tetraphenylborate (TBATPB) has been analyzed using the theoretical expression, and the impact of the bound charges on the complex dielectric constant has been clarified quantitatively in comparison with a theory that does not consider the effect of the bound charges. The Stokes radius of TBA +(=TPB-) determined by the present theory shows a good agreement with that determined by conductometry in the past; hence, the present theory should be applicable to the direct determination of the mobility of ion species in an electrolytic solution without the need to measure ionic limiting equivalent conductance and transport number.

  13. Comparison of species ordinations resulting from alternative indices of interspecific association and different numbers of included species

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goff, F G

    1975-12-19

    Several measures of interspecific association are compared. Dispersion and covariance are limited in value because they respond to the commonness of the species compared. Correlation is not so limited but it responds to discrepancies in commonness among the species. The practical result of these relationships between commonness and association is that only the most common species can occupy peripheral positions in a species ordination. Rare species are relegated to positions near the center not on the basis of their phytosociological pattern but simply because of their rarity. Both Cole's index of association and the tetrachoric correlation overcome the problem imposed by the relationship between ordination position and species commonness and they both produce very similar results. The effect of differing numbers of species on the ordination configuration is examined using both Pearson's correlation and Cole's index. The basic pattern of the ordination is set with the first few species when Cole's index is used, however, since rare species are given more weight in the analysis with this index, the addition of several very rare species can change the configuration of the ordination. (auth)

  14. Charge migration and charge transfer in molecular systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans Jakob Wörner

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The transfer of charge at the molecular level plays a fundamental role in many areas of chemistry, physics, biology and materials science. Today, more than 60 years after the seminal work of R. A. Marcus, charge transfer is still a very active field of research. An important recent impetus comes from the ability to resolve ever faster temporal events, down to the attosecond time scale. Such a high temporal resolution now offers the possibility to unravel the most elementary quantum dynamics of both electrons and nuclei that participate in the complex process of charge transfer. This review covers recent research that addresses the following questions. Can we reconstruct the migration of charge across a molecule on the atomic length and electronic time scales? Can we use strong laser fields to control charge migration? Can we temporally resolve and understand intramolecular charge transfer in dissociative ionization of small molecules, in transition-metal complexes and in conjugated polymers? Can we tailor molecular systems towards specific charge-transfer processes? What are the time scales of the elementary steps of charge transfer in liquids and nanoparticles? Important new insights into each of these topics, obtained from state-of-the-art ultrafast spectroscopy and/or theoretical methods, are summarized in this review.

  15. Measurement and control of electrostatic charges on solids in a gaseous suspension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieh, S.; Nguyen, T.

    1985-10-01

    Measurements of mean particle charges and charge distributions on Medium Volatile Bituminous (MVB) coals and Lignite A (LIGA) coals in a 51 mm ID grounded copper pipe loop have been made with the upgraded Faraday cage system. Both negative and positive charges were found for coals in all experiments. The dual polarities of charges are believed to be due to the nonuniform materials and chemical composition contained in coals. As expected, increasing velocity or decreasing air humidity has a significant effect to increase the mean particle charge and the standard deviation of distribution. Charge elimination by the addition of coal fines has been explored. Effective suppression of particle charges was achieved by adding 0.1% by mass of minus 1 micron coal dust into the pipe flow. A neutralization mechanism was proposed to interpret the measured results. The results of charge control obtained to date has been significant and encouraging. More work is needed to validate the proposed mechanism.

  16. Total source charge and charge screening in Yang-Mills theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, W.B.; Norton, R.E.

    1991-01-01

    New gauge-invariant definitions for the total charge on a static Yang-Mills source are suggested which we argue are better suited for determining when true color screening has occurred. In particular, these new definitions imply that the Abelian Coulomb solution for a simple ''electric'' dipole source made up of two opposite point charges has zero total source charge and therefore no color screening. With the definition of total source charge previously suggested by other authors, such a source would have a total source charge of 2q and therefore a screening charge in the field of -2q, where q is the magnitude of the charge of either point charge. Our definitions for more general solutions are not unique because of the path dependence of the parallel transport of charges. Suggestions for removing this ambiguity are offered, but it is not known if a unique, physically meaningful definition of total source charge in fact exists

  17. Complexation of Polyelectrolyte Micelles with Oppositely Charged Linear Chains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalogirou, Andreas; Gergidis, Leonidas N; Miliou, Kalliopi; Vlahos, Costas

    2017-03-02

    The formation of interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) from linear AB diblock copolymer precursor micelles and oppositely charged linear homopolymers is studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations. All beads of the linear polyelectrolyte (C) are charged with elementary quenched charge +1e, whereas in the diblock copolymer only the solvophilic (A) type beads have quenched charge -1e. For the same Bjerrum length, the ratio of positive to negative charges, Z +/- , of the mixture and the relative length of charged moieties r determine the size of IPECs. We found a nonmonotonic variation of the size of the IPECs with Z +/- . For small Z +/- values, the IPECs retain the size of the precursor micelle, whereas at larger Z +/- values the IPECs decrease in size due to the contraction of the corona and then increase as the aggregation number of the micelle increases. The minimum size of the IPECs is obtained at lower Z +/- values when the length of the hydrophilic block of the linear diblock copolymer decreases. The aforementioned findings are in agreement with experimental results. At a smaller Bjerrum length, we obtain the same trends but at even smaller Z +/- values. The linear homopolymer charged units are distributed throughout the corona.

  18. Use of the TFTR prototype charge exchange neutral analyzer for fast He3++ diagnostics during ICRF heating on PLT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medley, S.S.

    1981-07-01

    The Charge Exchange Neutral Analyzer (CENA) for TFTR is designed to measure singly charged ion species of atomic mass A = 1, 2, and 3 simultaneously with up to 75 energy channels per mass and an energy range of 0.5 3 charge exchange neutrals makes the analyzer of particular interest for recently proposed fast He 3 ++ diagnostics during ICRF heating on PLT

  19. 12 CFR 7.4002 - National bank charges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... judgment and safe and sound banking principles. A national bank establishes non-interest charges and fees in accordance with safe and sound banking principles if the bank employs a decision-making process... of the competitive position of the bank in accordance with the bank's business plan and marketing...

  20. Surface charge-conversion polymeric nanoparticles for photodynamic treatment of urinary tract bacterial infections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Shijie; Shao, Chen; Qiao, Shenglin; Li, Lili; Qi, Guobin; Lin, Yaoxin; Qiao, Zengying; Wang, Hao

    2015-01-01

    Urinary tract infections are typical bacterial infections which result in a number of economic burdens. With increasing antibiotic resistance, it is urgent that new approaches are explored that can eliminate pathogenic bacteria without inducing drug resistance. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new promising tactic. It is a gentle in situ photochemical reaction in which a photosensitizer (PS) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) under laser irradiation. In this work, we have demonstrated Chlorin e6 (Ce6) encapsulated charge-conversion polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) for efficiently targeting and killing pathogenic bacteria in a weakly acidic urinary tract infection environment. Owing to the surface charge conversion of NPs in an acidic environment, the NPs exhibited enhanced recognition for Gram-positive (ex. S. aureus) and Gram-negative (ex. E. coli) bacteria due to the charge interaction. Also, those NPs showed significant antibacterial efficacy in vitro with low cytotoxicity. The MIC value of NPs to E. coli is 17.91 μg ml"−"1, compared with the free Ce6 value of 29.85 μg ml"−"1. Finally, a mouse acute cystitis model was used to assess the photodynamic therapy effects in urinary tract infections. A significant decline (P < 0.05) in bacterial cells between NPs and free Ce6 occurred in urine after photodynamic therapy treatment. And the plated counting results revealed a remarkable bacterial cells drop (P < 0.05) in the sacrificed bladder tissue. Above all, this nanotechnology strategy opens a new door for the treatment of urinary tract infections with minimal side effects. (paper)

  1. Surface charge-conversion polymeric nanoparticles for photodynamic treatment of urinary tract bacterial infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shijie; Qiao, Shenglin; Li, Lili; Qi, Guobin; Lin, Yaoxin; Qiao, Zengying; Wang, Hao; Shao, Chen

    2015-12-01

    Urinary tract infections are typical bacterial infections which result in a number of economic burdens. With increasing antibiotic resistance, it is urgent that new approaches are explored that can eliminate pathogenic bacteria without inducing drug resistance. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new promising tactic. It is a gentle in situ photochemical reaction in which a photosensitizer (PS) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) under laser irradiation. In this work, we have demonstrated Chlorin e6 (Ce6) encapsulated charge-conversion polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) for efficiently targeting and killing pathogenic bacteria in a weakly acidic urinary tract infection environment. Owing to the surface charge conversion of NPs in an acidic environment, the NPs exhibited enhanced recognition for Gram-positive (ex. S. aureus) and Gram-negative (ex. E. coli) bacteria due to the charge interaction. Also, those NPs showed significant antibacterial efficacy in vitro with low cytotoxicity. The MIC value of NPs to E. coli is 17.91 μg ml-1, compared with the free Ce6 value of 29.85 μg ml-1. Finally, a mouse acute cystitis model was used to assess the photodynamic therapy effects in urinary tract infections. A significant decline (P < 0.05) in bacterial cells between NPs and free Ce6 occurred in urine after photodynamic therapy treatment. And the plated counting results revealed a remarkable bacterial cells drop (P < 0.05) in the sacrificed bladder tissue. Above all, this nanotechnology strategy opens a new door for the treatment of urinary tract infections with minimal side effects.

  2. Charge migration contribution to the sensitive layer of a silicon detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Croitoru, N.; Seidman, A.; Rancoita, P.G.

    1984-01-01

    The charge migration from the field-free region has been investigated, by comparing the expected peak position (which takes into account the depleted layer only) of the energy-loss of relativistic electrons with the measured one. The measurement sensitive layer was found to be systematically larger than the depleted one. This effect is accounted for the charge migration to diffusion

  3. Simulation of distributed parameter system consisting of charged and neutral particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grover, P.S.; Sinha, K.V.

    1986-01-01

    The time-dependent behavior of positively charged light particles have been simulated in an assembly of heavy gas atoms. The system is formulated in terms of partial differential equation. The stability and convergence of the numerical algorithm has been examined. Using this formulation effects of external electric field and temperature have been investigated on the lifetime and distribution function characteristics of charged particles

  4. Workplace Charging. Charging Up University Campuses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giles, Carrie [ICF International, Fairfax, VA (United States); Ryder, Carrie [ICF International, Fairfax, VA (United States); Lommele, Stephen [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2016-03-01

    This case study features the experiences of university partners in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Workplace Charging Challenge with the installation and management of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging stations.

  5. Symmetry, winding number, and topological charge of vortex solitons in discrete-symmetry media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-March, Miguel-Angel; Zacares, Mario; Ferrando, Albert; Sahu, Sarira; Ceballos-Herrera, Daniel E.

    2009-01-01

    We determine the functional behavior near the discrete rotational symmetry axis of discrete vortices of the nonlinear Schroedinger equation. We show that these solutions present a central phase singularity whose charge is restricted by symmetry arguments. Consequently, we demonstrate that the existence of high-charged discrete vortices is related to the presence of other off-axis phase singularities, whose positions and charges are also restricted by symmetry arguments. To illustrate our theoretical results, we offer two numerical examples of high-charged discrete vortices in photonic crystal fibers showing hexagonal discrete rotational invariance.

  6. Charged-particle calculations using Boltzmann transport methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffman, T.J.; Dodds, H.L. Jr.; Robinson, M.T.; Holmes, D.K.

    1981-01-01

    Several aspects of radiation damage effects in fusion reactor neutron and ion irradiation environments are amenable to treatment by transport theory methods. In this paper, multigroup transport techniques are developed for the calculation of charged particle range distributions, reflection coefficients, and sputtering yields. The Boltzmann transport approach can be implemented, with minor changes, in standard neutral particle computer codes. With the multigroup discrete ordinates code, ANISN, determination of ion and target atom distributions as functions of position, energy, and direction can be obtained without the stochastic error associated with atomistic computer codes such as MARLOWE and TRIM. With the multigroup Monte Carlo code, MORSE, charged particle effects can be obtained for problems associated with very complex geometries. Results are presented for several charged particle problems. Good agreement is obtained between quantities calculated with the multigroup approach and those obtained experimentally or by atomistic computer codes

  7. An improved limit on the charge of antihydrogen from stochastic acceleration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadi, M; Baquero-Ruiz, M; Bertsche, W; Butler, E; Capra, A; Carruth, C; Cesar, C L; Charlton, M; Charman, A E; Eriksson, S; Evans, L T; Evetts, N; Fajans, J; Friesen, T; Fujiwara, M C; Gill, D R; Gutierrez, A; Hangst, J S; Hardy, W N; Hayden, M E; Isaac, C A; Ishida, A; Jones, S A; Jonsell, S; Kurchaninov, L; Madsen, N; Maxwell, D; McKenna, J T K; Menary, S; Michan, J M; Momose, T; Munich, J J; Nolan, P; Olchanski, K; Olin, A; Povilus, A; Pusa, P; Rasmussen, C Ø; Robicheaux, F; Sacramento, R L; Sameed, M; Sarid, E; Silveira, D M; So, C; Tharp, T D; Thompson, R I; van der Werf, D P; Wurtele, J S; Zhmoginov, A I

    2016-01-21

    Antimatter continues to intrigue physicists because of its apparent absence in the observable Universe. Current theory requires that matter and antimatter appeared in equal quantities after the Big Bang, but the Standard Model of particle physics offers no quantitative explanation for the apparent disappearance of half the Universe. It has recently become possible to study trapped atoms of antihydrogen to search for possible, as yet unobserved, differences in the physical behaviour of matter and antimatter. Here we consider the charge neutrality of the antihydrogen atom. By applying stochastic acceleration to trapped antihydrogen atoms, we determine an experimental bound on the antihydrogen charge, Qe, of |Q| < 0.71 parts per billion (one standard deviation), in which e is the elementary charge. This bound is a factor of 20 less than that determined from the best previous measurement of the antihydrogen charge. The electrical charge of atoms and molecules of normal matter is known to be no greater than about 10(-21)e for a diverse range of species including H2, He and SF6. Charge-parity-time symmetry and quantum anomaly cancellation demand that the charge of antihydrogen be similarly small. Thus, our measurement constitutes an improved limit and a test of fundamental aspects of the Standard Model. If we assume charge superposition and use the best measured value of the antiproton charge, then we can place a new limit on the positron charge anomaly (the relative difference between the positron and elementary charge) of about one part per billion (one standard deviation), a 25-fold reduction compared to the current best measurement.

  8. 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.

  9. Effect of laundry surfactants on surface charge and colloidal stability of silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skoglund, Sara; Lowe, Troy A; Hedberg, Jonas; Blomberg, Eva; Wallinder, Inger Odnevall; Wold, Susanna; Lundin, Maria

    2013-07-16

    The stability of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) potentially released from clothing during a laundry cycle and their interactions with laundry-relevant surfactants [anionic (LAS), cationic (DTAC), and nonionic (Berol)] have been investigated. Surface interactions between Ag NPs and surfactants influence their speciation and stability. In the absence of surfactants as well as in the presence of LAS, the negatively charged Ag NPs were stable in solution for more than 1 day. At low DTAC concentrations (≤1 mM), DTAC-Ag NP interactions resulted in charge neutralization and formation of agglomerates. The surface charge of the particles became positive at higher concentrations due to a bilayer type formation of DTAC that prevents from agglomeration due to repulsive electrostatic forces between the positively charged colloids. The adsorption of Berol was enhanced when above its critical micelle concentration (cmc). This resulted in a surface charge close to zero and subsequent agglomeration. Extended DLVO theory calculations were in compliance with observed findings. The stability of the Ag NPs was shown to depend on the charge and concentration of the adsorbed surfactants. Such knowledge is important as it may influence the subsequent transport of Ag NPs through different chemical transients and thus their potential bioavailability and toxicity.

  10. Structural properties of water around uncharged and charged carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dezfoli, Amir Reza Ansari; Mehrabian, Mozaffar Ali; Rafsanjani, Hassan Hashemipour

    2013-01-01

    Studying the structural properties of water molecules around the carbon nanotubes is very important in a wide variety of carbon nanotubes applications. We studied the number of hydrogen bonds, oxygen and hydrogen density distributions, and water orientation around carbon nanotubes. The water density distribution for all carbon nanotubes was observed to have the same feature. In water-carbon nanotubes interface, a high-density region of water molecules exists around carbon nanotubes. The results reveal that the water orientation around carbon nanotubes is roughly dependent on carbon nanotubes surface charge. The water molecules in close distances to carbon nanotubes were found to make an HOH plane nearly perpendicular to the water-carbon nanotubes interface for carbon nanotubes with negative surface charge. For uncharged carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotubes with positive surface charge, the HOH plane was in tangential orientation with water-carbon nanotubes interface. There was also a significant reduction in hydrogen bond of water region around carbon nanotubes as compared with hydrogen bond in bulk water. This reduction was very obvious for carbon nanotubes with positive surface charge. In addition, the calculation of dynamic properties of water molecules in water-CNT interface revealed that there is a direct relation between the number of Hbonds and self-diffusion coefficient of water molecules

  11. Charge independence and charge symmetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miller, G A [Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (United States). Dept. of Physics; van Oers, W T.H. [Manitoba Univ., Winnipeg, MB (Canada). Dept. of Physics; [TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

    1994-09-01

    Charge independence and charge symmetry are approximate symmetries of nature, violated by the perturbing effects of the mass difference between up and down quarks and by electromagnetic interactions. The observations of the symmetry breaking effects in nuclear and particle physics and the implications of those effects are reviewed. (author). 145 refs., 3 tabs., 11 figs.

  12. Charge independence and charge symmetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, G.A.

    1994-09-01

    Charge independence and charge symmetry are approximate symmetries of nature, violated by the perturbing effects of the mass difference between up and down quarks and by electromagnetic interactions. The observations of the symmetry breaking effects in nuclear and particle physics and the implications of those effects are reviewed. (author). 145 refs., 3 tabs., 11 figs

  13. Control of single-electron charging of metallic nanoparticles onto amorphous silicon surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weis, Martin; Gmucová, Katarína; Nádazdy, Vojtech; Capek, Ignác; Satka, Alexander; Kopáni, Martin; Cirák, Július; Majková, Eva

    2008-11-01

    Sequential single-electron charging of iron oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in oleic acid/oleyl amine envelope and deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique onto Pt electrode covered with undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon film is reported. Single-electron charging (so-called quantized double-layer charging) of nanoparticles is detected by cyclic voltammetry as current peaks and the charging effect can be switched on/off by the electric field in the surface region induced by the excess of negative/positive charged defect states in the amorphous silicon layer. The particular charge states in amorphous silicon are created by the simultaneous application of a suitable bias voltage and illumination before the measurement. The influence of charged states on the electric field in the surface region is evaluated by the finite element method. The single-electron charging is analyzed by the standard quantized double layer model as well as two weak-link junctions model. Both approaches are in accordance with experiment and confirm single-electron charging by tunnelling process at room temperature. This experiment illustrates the possibility of the creation of a voltage-controlled capacitor for nanotechnology.

  14. Positive selection in octopus haemocyanin indicates functional links to temperature adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oellermann, Michael; Strugnell, Jan M; Lieb, Bernhard; Mark, Felix C

    2015-07-05

    Octopods have successfully colonised the world's oceans from the tropics to the poles. Yet, successful persistence in these habitats has required adaptations of their advanced physiological apparatus to compensate impaired oxygen supply. Their oxygen transporter haemocyanin plays a major role in cold tolerance and accordingly has undergone functional modifications to sustain oxygen release at sub-zero temperatures. However, it remains unknown how molecular properties evolved to explain the observed functional adaptations. We thus aimed to assess whether natural selection affected molecular and structural properties of haemocyanin that explains temperature adaptation in octopods. Analysis of 239 partial sequences of the haemocyanin functional units (FU) f and g of 28 octopod species of polar, temperate, subtropical and tropical origin revealed natural selection was acting primarily on charge properties of surface residues. Polar octopods contained haemocyanins with higher net surface charge due to decreased glutamic acid content and higher numbers of basic amino acids. Within the analysed partial sequences, positive selection was present at site 2545, positioned between the active copper binding centre and the FU g surface. At this site, methionine was the dominant amino acid in polar octopods and leucine was dominant in tropical octopods. Sites directly involved in oxygen binding or quaternary interactions were highly conserved within the analysed sequence. This study has provided the first insight into molecular and structural mechanisms that have enabled octopods to sustain oxygen supply from polar to tropical conditions. Our findings imply modulation of oxygen binding via charge-charge interaction at the protein surface, which stabilize quaternary interactions among functional units to reduce detrimental effects of high pH on venous oxygen release. Of the observed partial haemocyanin sequence, residue 2545 formed a close link between the FU g surface and the

  15. Hybrid supercapacitor-battery materials for fast electrochemical charge storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlad, A.; Singh, N.; Rolland, J.; Melinte, S.; Ajayan, P. M.; Gohy, J.-F.

    2014-01-01

    High energy and high power electrochemical energy storage devices rely on different fundamental working principles - bulk vs. surface ion diffusion and electron conduction. Meeting both characteristics within a single or a pair of materials has been under intense investigations yet, severely hindered by intrinsic materials limitations. Here, we provide a solution to this issue and present an approach to design high energy and high power battery electrodes by hybridizing a nitroxide-polymer redox supercapacitor (PTMA) with a Li-ion battery material (LiFePO4). The PTMA constituent dominates the hybrid battery charge process and postpones the LiFePO4 voltage rise by virtue of its ultra-fast electrochemical response and higher working potential. We detail on a unique sequential charging mechanism in the hybrid electrode: PTMA undergoes oxidation to form high-potential redox species, which subsequently relax and charge the LiFePO4 by an internal charge transfer process. A rate capability equivalent to full battery recharge in less than 5 minutes is demonstrated. As a result of hybrid's components synergy, enhanced power and energy density as well as superior cycling stability are obtained, otherwise difficult to achieve from separate constituents. PMID:24603843

  16. Centroid finding method for position-sensitive detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radeka, V.; Boie, R.A.

    1979-10-01

    A new centroid finding method for all detectors where the signal charge is collected or induced on strips of wires, or on subdivided resistive electrodes, is presented. The centroid of charge is determined by convolution of the sequentially switched outputs from these subdivisions or from the strips with a linear centroid finding filter. The position line width is inversely proportional to N/sup 3/2/, where N is the number of subdivisions

  17. Centroid finding method for position-sensitive detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radeka, V.; Boie, R.A.

    1980-01-01

    A new centroid finding method for all detectors where the signal charge is collected or induced on strips or wires, or on subdivided resistive electrodes, is presented. The centroid of charge is determined by convolution of the sequentially switched outputs from these subdivisions or from the strips with a linear centroid finding filter. The position line width is inversely proportional to N 3 sup(/) 2 , where N is the number of subdivisions. (orig.)

  18. On the secondary charging effects and structure of mesospheric dust particles impacting on rocket probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Havnes

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available The dust probe DUSTY, first launched during the summer of 1994 (flights ECT–02 and ECT–07 from Andøya Rocket Range, northern Norway, was the first probe to unambiguously detect heavy charged mesospheric aerosols, from hereon referred to as dust. In ECT–02 the probe detected negatively charged dust particles in the height interval of 83 to 88.5 km. In this flight, the lower grid in the detector (Grid 2 measures both positive and negative currents in various regions, and we find that the relationship between the current measurements of Grid 2 and the bottom plate can only be explained by influence from secondary charge production on Grid 2. In ECT–07, which had a large coning, positive currents reaching the top grid of the probe were interpreted as due to the impact of positively charged dust particles. We have now reanalyzed the data from ECT–07 and arrived at the conclusion that the measured positive currents to this grid must have been mainly due to secondary charging effects from the impacting dust particles. The grid consists of a set of parallel wires crossed with an identical set of wires on top of it, and we find that if the observed currents were created from the direct impact of charged dust particles, then they should be very weakly modulated at four times the rocket spin rate ωR. Observations show, however, that the observed currents are strongly modulated at 2ωR. We cannot reproduce the observed large modulations of the impact currents in the dust layer if the currents are due only to the transfer of the charges on the impacted dust particles. Based on the results of recent ice cluster impact secondary charging experiments by Tomsic (2003, which found that a small fraction of the ice clusters, when impacting with nearly grazing incidence, carried away one negative charge −1e, we have arrived at the conclusion that similar, but significantly more effective, charging effects must

  19. The charge collection in single side silicon microstrip detectors

    CERN Document Server

    Eremin, V V; Roe, S; Ruggiero, G; Weilhammer, Peter

    2003-01-01

    The transient current technique has been used to investigate signal formation in unirradiated silicon microstrip detectors, which are similar in geometry to those developed for the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Nanosecond pulsed infrared and red lasers were used to induce the signals under study. Two peculiarities in the detector performance were observed: an unexpectedly slow rise to the signal induced in a given strip when signals are injected opposite to the strip, and a long duration of the induced signal in comparison with the calculated drift time of charge carriers through the detector thickness - with a significant fraction of the charge being induced after charge carrier arrival. These major effects and details of the detector response for different positions of charge injection are discussed in the context of Ramo's theorem and compared with predictions arising from the more commonly studied phenomenon of signal formation in planar pad detectors.

  20. Exploration of X-ray and charged-particle spectroscopy with CCDs and PSDs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simons, D.P.L.; Mutsaers, P.H.A.; Ijzendoorn, L.J. van; Voigt, M.J.A. de

    1998-01-01

    Two alternative detector types have been studied for use in the Eindhoven scanning ion microprobe set-up. First, the applicability of a charge coupled device (CCD) system for X-ray spectroscopy has been explored. Second, some properties of the SiTek type 1L30 position sensitive detector (PSD) for charged-particle spectroscopy have been studied. A literature survey shows that excellent X-ray spectroscopy with a CCD system is feasible, particularly with a deep-depletion backside-illuminated CCD and low speed read-out. If, however, high-speed CCD read-out is required, such as for scanning microprobe experiments, a CCD system cannot be used for spectroscopy due to excess read-out noise. For the PSD, noise theory calculations are presented, which result in a noise shaping time for optimal energy and position resolution. In practice, however, a much longer time is needed to obtain sufficient energy and position linearity. Characterization measurements of the PSD using our 4 MeV He + microprobe are also described. A position resolution of 0.47 mm and a position linearity of better than 0.15% detector length are found. In addition, an energy linearity better than 0.3% and an energy resolution of 36 keV are measured. The latter will have to be improved, to make the PSD suitable for charged-particle spectroscopy applications. (orig.)

  1. Quasi-Exact Coulomb Dynamics of n Charges n-1 of Which Are Equal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolodymyr Skrypnik

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available For n≥3 point charges n-1 of which are negative and equal quasi-exact periodic solutions of their Coulomb equation of motion are found. These solutions describe a motion of the negative charges around a coordinate axis in such a way that their coordinates coincide with vertices of a regular polygon in planes perpendicular to the axis along which the positive charge moves. The Weinstein and center Lyapunov theorems are utilized.

  2. Species concept and speciation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amal Y. Aldhebiani

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Defining and recognizing a species has been a controversial issue for a long time. To determine the variation and the limitation between species, many concepts have been proposed. When a taxonomist study a particular taxa, he/she must adopted a species concept and provide a species limitation to define this taxa. In this paper some of species concepts are discussed starting from the typological species concepts to the phylogenetic concept. Positive and negative aspects of these concepts are represented in addition to their application. Keywords: Species concept, Species limitation, Species, Taxonomy, Classification

  3. Interaction of cationic porphyrins with DNA: Importance of the number and position of the charges and minimum structural requirements for intercalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sari, M.A.; Battioni, J.P.; Dupre, D.; Mansuy, D.; Le Pecq, J.B.

    1990-01-01

    Thirty-three porphyrins or metalloporphyrins corresponding to the general formula [meso-[N-methyl-4(or 3 or 2)-pyridiniumyl] n (aryl) 4-n porphyrin]M (M = H 2 , Cu II , or ClFe III ), with n = 2-4, have been synthesized and characterized by UV-visible and 1 H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. These porphyrins differ not only in the number (2-4) and position of their cationic charges but also in the steric requirements to reach even temporarily a completely planar geometry. Interaction of these porphyrins or metalloporphyrins with calf thymus DNA has been studied and their apparent affinity binding constants have been determined by use of a competition method with ethidium bromide which was applicable not only for all the free base porphyrins but also for their copper (II) or iron (III) complexes. Whatever their mode of binding may be, their apparent affinity binding constants were relatively high and a linear decrease of log K app with the number of porphyrin charges was observed. Studies of porphyrin-DNA interactions by UV and fluorescence spectroscopy, viscosimetry, and fluorescence energy transfer experiments showed that not only the tetracationic meso-tetrakis[N-methyl-4(or 3)-pyridiniumyl]porphyrins, which both involved four freely rotating meso-aryl groups, but also the corresponding tri- and dicationic porphyrins were able to intercalate into calf thymus DNA. These results show that only half of the porphyrin ring is necessary for intercalation to occur

  4. Effects of charging and electric field on graphene functionalized with titanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gürel, H Hakan; Ciraci, S

    2013-01-01

    Titanium atoms are adsorbed to graphene with a significant binding energy and render diverse functionalities to it. Carrying out first-principles calculations, we investigated the effects of charging and static electric field on the physical and chemical properties of graphene covered by Ti adatoms. When uniformly Ti covered graphene is charged positively, its antiferromagnetic ground state changes to ferromagnetic metal and attains a permanent magnetic moment. Static electric field applied perpendicularly causes charge transfer between Ti and graphene, and can induce metal–insulator transition. While each Ti adatom adsorbed to graphene atom can hold four hydrogen molecules with a weak binding, these molecules can be released by charging or applying electric field perpendicularly. Hence, it is demonstrated that charging and applied static electric field induce quasi-continuous and side specific modifications in the charge distribution and potential energy of adatoms absorbed to single-layer nanostructures, resulting in fundamentally crucial effects on their physical and chemical properties. (paper)

  5. Capacity Decay Mitigation by Asymmetric Positive/Negative Electrolyte Volumes in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jong Ho; Park, Jung Jin; Park, O Ok; Yang, Jung Hoon

    2016-11-23

    Capacity decay in vanadium redox flow batteries during charge-discharge cycling has become an important issue because it lowers the practical energy density of the battery. The battery capacity tends to drop rapidly within the first tens of cycles and then drops more gradually over subsequent cycles during long-term operation. This paper analyzes and discusses the reasons for this early capacity decay. The imbalanced crossover rate of vanadium species was found to remain high until the total difference in vanadium concentration between the positive and negative electrolytes reached almost 1 mol dm -3 . To minimize the initial crossover imbalance, we introduced an asymmetric volume ratio between the positive and negative electrolytes during cell operation. Changing this ratio significantly reduced the capacity fading rate of the battery during the early cycles and improved its capacity retention at steady state. As an example, the practical energy density of the battery increased from 15.5 to 25.2 Wh L -1 simply after reduction of the positive volume by 25 %. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Fractional charges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saminadayar, L.

    2001-01-01

    20 years ago fractional charges were imagined to explain values of conductivity in some materials. Recent experiments have proved the existence of charges whose value is the third of the electron charge. This article presents the experimental facts that have led theorists to predict the existence of fractional charges from the motion of quasi-particles in a linear chain of poly-acetylene to the quantum Hall effect. According to the latest theories, fractional charges are neither bosons nor fermions but anyons, they are submitted to an exclusive principle that is less stringent than that for fermions. (A.C.)

  7. Two methods to estimate the position resolution for straw chambers with strip readout

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golutvin, I.A.; Movchan, S.A.; Peshekhonov, V.D.; Preda, T.

    1992-01-01

    The centroid and charge-ratio methods are presented to estimate the position resolution of the straw chambers with strip readout. For the straw chambers of 10 mm in diameter, the highest position resolution was obtained for a strip pitch of 5 mm. With the centroid method and perpendicular X-ray beam, the position resolution was ≅120 μm, for the signal-to-noise ratio of 60-65. The charge-ratio method has demonstrated ≅10% better position resolution at the edges of the strip. 6 refs.; 5 figs

  8. Charging and exciton-mediated decharging of metal nanoparticles in organic semiconductor matrices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ligorio, Giovanni; Vittorio Nardi, Marco; Christodoulou, Christos; Florea, Ileana; Ersen, Ovidiu; Monteiro, Nicolas-Crespo; Brinkmann, Martin; Koch, Norbert

    2014-01-01

    Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) were deposited on the surface of n- and p-type organic semiconductors to form defined model systems for charge storage based electrically addressable memory elements. We used ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy to study the electronic properties and found that the Au-NPs become positively charged because of photoelectron emission, evidenced by spectral shifts to higher binding energy. Upon illumination with light that can be absorbed by the organic semiconductors, dynamic charge neutrality of the Au-NPs could be re-established through electron transfer from excitons. The light-controlled charge state of the Au-NPs could add optical addressability to memory elements

  9. Charging Graphene for Energy Storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jun

    2014-10-06

    Since 2004, graphene, including single atomic layer graphite sheet, and chemically derived graphene sheets, has captured the imagination of researchers for energy storage because of the extremely high surface area (2630 m2/g) compared to traditional activated carbon (typically below 1500 m2/g), excellent electrical conductivity, high mechanical strength, and potential for low cost manufacturing. These properties are very desirable for achieving high activity, high capacity and energy density, and fast charge and discharge. Chemically derived graphene sheets are prepared by oxidation and reduction of graphite1 and are more suitable for energy storage because they can be made in large quantities. They still contain multiply stacked graphene sheets, structural defects such as vacancies, and oxygen containing functional groups. In the literature they are also called reduced graphene oxide, or functionalized graphene sheets, but in this article they are all referred to as graphene for easy of discussion. Two important applications, batteries and electrochemical capacitors, have been widely investigated. In a battery material, the redox reaction occurs at a constant potential (voltage) and the energy is stored in the bulk. Therefore, the energy density is high (more than 100 Wh/kg), but it is difficult to rapidly charge or discharge (low power, less than 1 kW/kg)2. In an electrochemical capacitor (also called supercapacitors or ultracapacitor in the literature), the energy is stored as absorbed ionic species at the interface between the high surface area carbon and the electrolyte, and the potential is a continuous function of the state-of-charge. The charge and discharge can happen rapidly (high power, up to 10 kW/kg) but the energy density is low, less than 10 Wh/kg2. A device that can have both high energy and high power would be ideal.

  10. BRICTEST: a code for charge breeding simulations in RF quadrupolar field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Variale, V.; Claudione, M.

    2005-01-01

    In the framework of the SPES project (Study for Production of Exotic Species), funded by Istituto Nazionale Fisica Nucleare (INFN) at the Laboratori Nazionali Legnaro (LNL) (Padua) for Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) production, an R and D experiment of a charge breeder device, called BRIC (BReeding Ion Charge), is in progress at LNL. BRIC is an Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) type ion charge state breeder in which a radio frequency (RF) quadrupolar field has been superimposed in the trapped ion region to introduce a selective containment with the aim of increasing the wanted ion trapping efficiency. A code that studies the motion and the ion charge state evolution in the trap region of the BRIC device has been recently developed in the Bari INFN section. That code has the aim of showing if, in the presence of an axial magnetic field and electron beam space charge force, the RF quadrupole field can still give a selective ion containment in the EBIS trap region. The code, furthermore, should allow choosing the RF quadrupole parameters to optimize the ion charge containment efficiency. In this paper the main feature of the code, named BRICTEST, and the simulation test will be presented and shortly discussed

  11. Polarization spectroscopy of positive and negative trions in an InAs quantum dot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ware, Morgan E.; Bracker, Allan S.; Stinaff, Eric; Gammon, Daniel; Gershoni, David; Korenev, Vladimir L.

    2005-02-01

    Using polarization-sensitive photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, we study single InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots. The dots were embedded in an n-type, Schottky diode structure allowing for control of the charge state. We present here the exciton, singly charged exciton (positive and negative trions), and the twice negatively charged exciton. For non-resonant excitation below the wetting layer, we observed a large degree of polarization memory from the radiative recombination of both the positive and negative trions. In excitation spectra, through the p-shell, we have found several sharp resonances in the emission from the s-shell recombination of the dot in all charged states. Some of these excitation resonances exhibit strong coulomb shifts upon addition of charges into the quantum dot. One particular resonance of the negatively charged trion was found to exhibit a fine structure doublet under circular polarization. This observation is explained in terms of resonant absorption into the triplet states of the negative trion.

  12. Temporal evolution of atmosphere pressure plasma jets driven by microsecond pulses with positive and negative polarities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Tao; Yang, Wenjin; Zhang, Cheng; Fang, Zhi; Zhou, Yixiao; Schamiloglu, Edl

    2014-09-01

    Current-voltage characteristics, discharge images, and optical spectra of atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are studied using a microsecond pulse length generator producing repetitive output pulses with different polarities. The experimental results show that the APPJs excited by the pulses with positive polarity have longer plume, faster propagation speed, higher power, and more excited species, such as \\text{N}2 , O, He, \\text{N}2+ , than that with the negatively excited APPJs. The images taken using an intensified charge-coupled device show that the APPJs excited by pulses with positive polarity are characterized by a bullet-like structure, while the APPJs excited by pulses with negative polarity are continuous. The propagation speed of the APPJs driven by a microsecond pulse length generator is about tens of km/s, which is similar to the APPJs driven by a kHz frequency sinusoidal voltage source. The analysis shows that the space charge accumulation effect plays an important role during the discharge. The transient enhanced electric field induced by the accumulated ions between the needle-like electrode and the nozzle in the APPJs excited by pulses with negative polarity enhances electron field emission from the cathode, which is illustrated by the bright line on the time-integrated images. This makes the shape of the APPJ excited using pulses with negative polarity different from the bullet-like shape of the APPJs excited by pulses with positive polarity.

  13. The role of NH2-terminal positive charges in the activity of inward rectifier KATP channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cukras, C A; Jeliazkova, I; Nichols, C G

    2002-09-01

    Approximately half of the NH(2) terminus of inward rectifier (Kir) channels can be deleted without significant change in channel function, but activity is lost when more than approximately 30 conserved residues before the first membrane spanning domain (M1) are removed. Systematic replacement of the positive charges in the NH(2) terminus of Kir6.2 with alanine reveals several residues that affect channel function when neutralized. Certain mutations (R4A, R5A, R16A, R27A, R39A, K47A, R50A, R54A, K67A) change open probability, whereas an overlapping set of mutants (R16A, R27A, K39A, K47A, R50A, R54A, K67A) change ATP sensitivity. Further analysis of the latter set differentiates mutations that alter ATP sensitivity as a consequence of altered open state stability (R16A, K39A, K67A) from those that may affect ATP binding directly (K47A, R50A, R54A). The data help to define the structural determinants of Kir channel function, and suggest possible structural motifs within the NH(2) terminus, as well as the relationship of the NH(2) terminus with the extended cytoplasmic COOH terminus of the channel.

  14. Description, culture and phylogenetic position of a new xerotolerant species of Physarum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novozhilov, Yuri K; Okun, Mikhail V; Erastova, Daria A; Shchepin, Oleg N; Zemlyanskaya, Inna V; García-Carvajal, Eva; Schnittler, Martin

    2013-01-01

    A new widespread myxomycete species, Physarum pseudonotabile, inhabiting the arid regions of the Eurasia, South and North America is described and illustrated. Tentatively assigned to Ph. notabile T. Macbr., a phylogeny based on the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) and elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1a) genes placed the new species in a clade far from Ph. notabile. Ph. pseudonotabile was found to be frequent in surveys based on the moist chamber culture technique with samples of litter, bark and herbivore dung collected in dry steppe and deserts of the Caspian lowland (Russia), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Spain, Argentina and USA. The main morphological difference between Ph. pseudonotabile and Ph. notabile lies in spore ornamentation. Spores of the former species display irregularly distributed verrucae, whereas the latter species possesses spores with dense and regularly arranged spinulae. In addition, the ecological preferences of the two species differ. Ph. pseudonotabile inhabits the bark of living plants and ground litter in arid regions, whereas Ph. notabile is found on coarse woody debris in boreal and temperate forests. Although the new species appears to be closest to Ph. notabile morphologically, the phylogenetic analysis reveals Ph. pusillum and Ph. nivale as the closest relatives. In addition, the molecular investigations revealed a considerable amount of hidden diversity within species of Physarum with gray lime flakes. Currently we have only sufficient material to assess the morphological variation of Ph. pseudonotabile but expect that more taxa within this clade may emerge within studies combining morphological and molecular analyses.

  15. Measurement of Neutrino Induced, Charged Current, Charged Pion Production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilking, Michael Joseph [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)

    2009-05-01

    Neutrinos are among the least understood particles in the standard model of particle physics. At neutrino energies in the 1 GeV range, neutrino properties are typically determined by observing the outgoing charged lepton produced in a charged current quasi-elastic interactions. The largest charged current background to these measurements comes from charged current pion production interactions, for which there is very little available data.

  16. Electronic, structural and chemical effects of charge-transfer at organic/inorganic interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otero, R.; Vázquez de Parga, A. L.; Gallego, J. M.

    2017-07-01

    During the last decade, interest on the growth and self-assembly of organic molecular species on solid surfaces spread over the scientific community, largely motivated by the promise of cheap, flexible and tunable organic electronic and optoelectronic devices. These efforts lead to important advances in our understanding of the nature and strength of the non-bonding intermolecular interactions that control the assembly of the organic building blocks on solid surfaces, which have been recently reviewed in a number of excellent papers. To a large extent, such studies were possible because of a smart choice of model substrate-adsorbate systems where the molecule-substrate interactions were purposefully kept low, so that most of the observed supramolecular structures could be understood simply by considering intermolecular interactions, keeping the role of the surface always relatively small (although not completely negligible). On the other hand, the systems which are more relevant for the development of organic electronic devices include molecular species which are electron donors, acceptors or blends of donors and acceptors. Adsorption of such organic species on solid surfaces is bound to be accompanied by charge-transfer processes between the substrate and the adsorbates, and the physical and chemical properties of the molecules cannot be expected any longer to be the same as in solution phase. In recent years, a number of groups around the world have started tackling the problem of the adsorption, self- assembly and electronic and chemical properties of organic species which interact rather strongly with the surface, and for which charge-transfer must be considered. The picture that is emerging shows that charge transfer can lead to a plethora of new phenomena, from the development of delocalized band-like electron states at molecular overlayers, to the existence of new substrate-mediated intermolecular interactions or the strong modification of the chemical

  17. Methodology for assessing electric vehicle charging infrastructure business models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madina, Carlos; Zamora, Inmaculada; Zabala, Eduardo

    2016-01-01

    The analysis of economic implications of innovative business models in networked environments, as electro-mobility is, requires a global approach to ensure that all the involved actors obtain a benefit. Although electric vehicles (EVs) provide benefits for the society as a whole, there are a number of hurdles for their widespread adoption, mainly the high investment cost for the EV and for the infrastructure. Therefore, a sound business model must be built up for charging service operators, which allows them to recover their costs while, at the same time, offer EV users a charging price which makes electro-mobility comparable to internal combustion engine vehicles. For that purpose, three scenarios are defined, which present different EV charging alternatives, in terms of charging power and charging station ownership and accessibility. A case study is presented for each scenario and the required charging station usage to have a profitable business model is calculated. We demonstrate that private home charging is likely to be the preferred option for EV users who can charge at home, as it offers a lower total cost of ownership under certain conditions, even today. On the contrary, finding a profitable business case for fast charging requires more intensive infrastructure usage. - Highlights: • Ecosystem is a network of actors who collaborate to create a positive business case. • Electro-mobility (electricity-powered road vehicles and ICT) is a complex ecosystem. • Methodological analysis to ensure that all actors benefit from electro-mobility. • Economic analysis of charging infrastructure deployment linked to its usage. • Comparison of EV ownership cost vs. ICE for vehicle users.

  18. Effects of Discrete Charge Clustering in Simulations of Charged Interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grime, John M A; Khan, Malek O

    2010-10-12

    A system of counterions between charged surfaces is investigated, with the surfaces represented by uniform charged planes and three different arrangements of discrete surface charges - an equispaced grid and two different clustered arrangements. The behaviors of a series of systems with identical net surface charge density are examined, with particular emphasis placed on the long ranged corrections via the method of "charged slabs" and the effects of the simulation cell size. Marked differences are observed in counterion distributions and the osmotic pressure dependent on the particular representation of the charged surfaces; the uniformly charged surfaces and equispaced grids of discrete charge behave in a broadly similar manner, but the clustered systems display a pronounced decrease in osmotic pressure as the simulation size is increased. The influence of the long ranged correction is shown to be minimal for all but the very smallest of system sizes.

  19. Effect of position and momentum constraints on charge distribution in heavy-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajni; Kumar, Suneel

    2012-01-01

    The rich phenomenology of multifragmentation has been widely explored after two decades of its discovery. It has been experimentally shown that in one single heavy ion collision many intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) are produced, where IMFs are defined as fragments with 5 ≤ A ≤ A tot /6. In the earlier literature, the multifragmentation was studied by Jakobsson et al. who measured the charge particle distribution along with their kinetic energy spectra in 16 O/ 36 Ar induced reaction between 25 and 200 MeV/nucleon representing the various phenomena in heavy ion collisions

  20. Strongly coupled Coulomb systems with positive dust grains: thermal and UV-induced plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samarian, A.A.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: A plasma containing macroscopic dust particles or grains (often referred to as a dusty or colloidal or complex plasma) has the feature that grains may be charged by electron or ion flux or by photo- or thermoelectron emission. Electron emission from a grain surface produces a positive charge; capture of electrons produces the reverse effect making the dust grains negatively charged. Most dusty plasma research is concerned with the ordered dust structures (so-called 'plasma crystal') in glow discharges. The dust grains in these experiments were found to carry a negative charge due to the higher mobility of electrons as compared to ions in the discharge plasma. In recent years, in parallel with the study of the properties of plasma crystals under discharge conditions, attempts to obtain a structure from positively charged dust grains have been made, and structure formation processes for various charging mechanisms, particularly thermoelectron emission and photoemission, have been investigated. In this paper we review the essential features of strongly coupled plasmas with positive dust grains. An ordered structure of CeO 2 grains has been experimentally observed in a combustion products jet. The grains were charged positively and suspended in the plasma flow. Their charge is about 10 3 a and the calculated value of a Coulomb coupling parameter Γ is >10, corresponding to a plasma liquid. The ordered structures of Al 2 O 3 dust grains in propellant combustion products plasma have been observed for the first time. These structures were found in the sheath boundary of condensation region. The obtained data let us estimate the value of parameter Γ =3-40, corresponding to the plasma liquid state. The possibility is studied of the formation of ordered dust grain structures in thermal plasma. The range of the required values of the coupling parameter Γ is calculated using the results of diagnostic measurements carried out in thermal plasma with grains of

  1. Influence of Surface Charge/Potential of a Gold Electrode on the Adsorptive/Desorptive Behaviour of Fibrinogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dargahi, Mahdi; Konkov, Evgeny; Omanovic, Sasha

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Adsorptive/desorptive behavior of fibrinogen (FG) on an electrochemically-polarized gold substrate is reported. • The adsorption affinity of FG (afFG) is constant on a negatively-charged substrate surface. • The afFG increases linearly with an increase in positive substrate surface charge. • The FG adsorption kinetics is strongly dependant on substrate surface charge. • The adsorbed FG layer can be desorbed by electrochemical evolution of hydrogen and oxygen. - Abstract: The effect of gold substrate surface charge (potential) on adsorptive/desorptive behaviour of fibrinogen (FG) was studied by employing differential capacitance (DC) and polarization modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), in terms of FG adsorption thermodynamics, kinetics, and desorption kinetics. The gold substrate surface charge was modulated in-situ within the electrochemical double-layer region by means of electrochemical potentiostatic polarization in a FG-containing electrolyte, thus avoiding the interference of other physico-chemical properties of the gold surface on FG’s interfacial behaviour. The FG adsorption equilibrium was modeled using the Langmuir isotherm. Highly negative values of apparent Gibbs free energy of adsorption (ranging from from −52.1 ± 0.4 to −55.8 ± 0.8 kJ mol −1 , depending on the FG adsorption potential) indicated a highly spontaneous and strong adsorption of FG onto the gold surface. The apparent Gibbs free energy of adsorption was found to be independent of surface charge when the surface was negatively charged. However, when the gold surface was positively charged, the apparent Gibbs free energy of adsorption exhibited a pronounced linear relationship with the surface charge, shifting to more negative values with an increase in positive electrode potential. The adsorption kinetics of FG was also found to be dependent on gold surface charge in a similar manner to the apparent Gibbs free energy of adsorption

  2. Electrostatic Charge on Flying Hummingbirds and Its Potential Role in Pollination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc Badger

    Full Text Available 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.

  3. Opportunistic Wireless Charging System Design for an On-Demand Shuttle Service

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meintz, Andrew; Doubleday, Kate; Markel, Tony

    2016-06-29

    System right-sizing is critical to the implementation of in-motion wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles. This study evaluates potential system designs for an on-demand employee shuttle by determining the required battery size based on the rated power at a variable number of charging locations. Vehicle power and state of charge are simulated over the drive cycle, based on position and velocity data at every second from the existing shuttle. Adding just one WPT location can halve the battery size. Many configurations are capable of self-sustaining with WPT, while others benefit from supplemental stationary charging.

  4. Electron holography studies of the charge on dislocations in GaN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cherns, D.; Jiao, C.G.; Mokhtari, H. [H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL (United Kingdom); Cai, J.; Ponce, F.A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287 (United States)

    2002-12-01

    The measurement of charge on dislocations in GaN by electron holography is described. Recent results are presented showing that edge dislocations in n-doped GaN are highly negatively charged, whereas those in p-doped GaN are positively charged. It is shown that the results are consistent with a model which assumes Fermi level pinning at dislocation states about 2.5 V below the conduction band edge. The application of electron holography to screw dislocations, and the dependence of the observations on the dislocation core structure, are also discussed. (Abstract Copyright [2002], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  5. Charge neutrality of fine particle (dusty) plasmas and fine particle cloud under gravity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Totsuji, Hiroo, E-mail: totsuji-09@t.okadai.jp

    2017-03-11

    The enhancement of the charge neutrality due to the existence of fine particles is shown to occur generally under microgravity and in one-dimensional structures under gravity. As an application of the latter, the size and position of fine particle clouds relative to surrounding plasmas are determined under gravity. - Highlights: • In fine particle (dusty) plasmas, the charge neutrality is much enhanced by the existence of fine particles. • The enhancement of charge neutrality generally occurs under microgravity and gravity. • Structure of fine particle clouds under gravity is determined by applying the enhanced charge neutrality.

  6. Modulation instability of ion thermal waves in a pair-ion plasma containing charged dust impurities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabry, R.

    2008-01-01

    Modulation instability of ion thermal waves (ITWs) is investigated in a plasma composed of positive and negative ions as well as a fraction of stationary charged (positive or negative) dust impurities. For this purpose, a linear dispersion relation and a nonlinear Schroedinger equation are derived. The latter admits localized envelope solitary wave solutions of bright (pulses) and dark (holes, voids) type. The envelope soliton depends on the intrinsic plasma parameters. It is found that modulation instability of ITWs is significantly affected by the presence of positively/negatively charged dust grains. The findings of this investigation should be useful in understanding the stable electrostatic wave packet acceleration mechanisms in pair-ion plasma, and also enhances our knowledge on the occurrence of instability associated to the existence of charged dust impurities in pair-ion plasmas. Our results should be of relevance for laboratory plasmas.

  7. Production, transport and charge capture measurements of highly charged recoil ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trebus, U.E.

    1989-01-01

    An experiment is described to study highly charged recoil ions on-line to the heavy accelerator UNILAC at GSI. The highly charged recoil ions are produced by heavy-ion bombardment of a gas target. Subsequently the slow highly charged recoil ions are extracted from the ionization volume, and guided through a beam transport line to a Wien filter for charge state selection and to a collision region to study charge transfer processes. Several experiments were carried out to show the efficient charge state separation. Charge states up to q = 15 were observed. When using a retarding field analyzer cross sections for single electron capture were determined for different charge states of Xe q+ for q = 4 to 11 and He gas. The experiments demonstrated increasing charge transfer cross sections with increasing charge state q and indicated the effect of near resonant charge capture for q = 6. The flexible data acquisition system used, is described and other future experiments, such as for instance in flight ion-trapping are indicated in the appendix

  8. Production, transport and charge capture measurements of highly charged recoil ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trebus, U.E.

    1989-05-01

    An experiment is described to study highly charged recoil ions on-line to the heavy ion accelerator UNILAC at GSI. The highly charged recoil ions are produced by heavy ion bombardment of a gas target. Subsequently the slow highly charged recoil ions are extracted from the ionization volume, and guided through a beam transport line to a Wien filter for charge state selection and to a collision region to study charge transfer processes. Several experiments were carried out to show the efficient charge state separation. Charge states up to q=15 were observed. When using a retarding field analyzer cross sections for single electron capture were determined for different charge states of Xe q+ for q=4 to 11 and He gas. The experiments demonstrated increasing charge transfer cross sections with increasing charge state q and indicated the effect of near resonant charge capture for q=6. The flexible data acquisition system used, is described and other future experiments, such as for instance in flight ion-trapping are indicated in the appendix. (orig.)

  9. Comparative study of GeO{sub 2}/Ge and SiO{sub 2}/Si structures on anomalous charging of oxide films upon water adsorption revealed by ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mori, Daichi; Kawai, Kentaro; Morita, Mizuho; Arima, Kenta, E-mail: arima@prec.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Oka, Hiroshi; Hosoi, Takuji; Watanabe, Heiji [Department of Material and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Crumlin, Ethan J.; Liu, Zhi [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

    2016-09-07

    The energy difference between the oxide and bulk peaks in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra was investigated for both GeO{sub 2}/Ge and SiO{sub 2}/Si structures with thickness-controlled water films. This was achieved by obtaining XPS spectra at various values of relative humidity (RH) of up to ∼15%. The increase in the energy shift is more significant for thermal GeO{sub 2} on Ge than for thermal SiO{sub 2} on Si above ∼10{sup −4}% RH, which is due to the larger amount of water molecules that infiltrate into the GeO{sub 2} film to form hydroxyls. Analyzing the origins of this energy shift, we propose that the positive charging of a partially hydroxylated GeO{sub 2} film, which is unrelated to X-ray irradiation, causes the larger energy shift for GeO{sub 2}/Ge than for SiO{sub 2}/Si. A possible microscopic mechanism of this intrinsic positive charging is the emission of electrons from adsorbed water species in the suboxide layer of the GeO{sub 2} film to the Ge bulk, leaving immobile cations or positively charged states in the oxide. This may be related to the reported negative shift of flat band voltages in metal-oxide-semiconductor diodes with an air-exposed GeO{sub 2} layer.

  10. Positive effects of plant species diversity on productivity in the absence of legumes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ruijven, van J.; Berendse, F.

    2003-01-01

    We investigated the effect of species richness on productivity in randomly assembled grassland communities without legumes. Aboveground biomass increased with increasing species richness and different measures of complementarity showed strong increases with plant species richness. Increasing

  11. Maximizing Ion Current by Space Charge Neutralization using Negative Ions and Dust Particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smirnov, A.; Raitses, Y.; Fisch, N.J.

    2005-01-01

    Ion current extracted from an ion source (ion thruster) can be increased above the Child-Langmuir limit if the ion space charge is neutralized. Similarly, the limiting kinetic energy density of the plasma flow in a Hall thruster might be exceeded if additional mechanisms of space charge neutralization are introduced. Space charge neutralization with high-mass negative ions or negatively charged dust particles seems, in principle, promising for the development of a high current or high energy density source of positive light ions. Several space charge neutralization schemes that employ heavy negatively charged particles are considered. It is shown that the proposed neutralization schemes can lead, at best, only to a moderate but nonetheless possibly important increase of the ion current in the ion thruster and the thrust density in the Hall thruster

  12. Two-pion exchange contributions to nuclear charge asymmetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coon, S.A.; Niskanen, J.A.

    1995-01-01

    An explicit 2π exchange (TPE) potential based on non-relativistic πNN and πΔN vertices with the baryon mass differences taken into account in the vertices is extended to the study of mirror nuclear systems. For the latter study, one must also include baryon mass differences in the intermediate state energy denominators. The TPE potential includes box and crossed box diagrams with two nucleons and those with one nucleon and one Δ. Nuclear charge asymmetry is characterized, in part, by a positive value for the difference Δa = |a nn | - |a pp | ∼ O(1 fm) and a positive value for the 3 H - 3 He binding energy difference ΔE ∼ O(100 keV). The charge asymmetry from baryon mass differences in the vertices is small on this scale and in the wrong direction compared to the empirical values. The contribution from baryon mass differences in the intermediate state energy denominators is positive and is of the order of the empirical scales, in contrast to the previous estimate of Δa ∼ +0.3 fm obtained from an SU(2) symmetric covariant field theoretical potential. This discrepancy between models of TPE is being investigated

  13. Double Charged Surface Layers in Lead Halide Perovskite Crystals

    KAUST Repository

    Sarmah, Smritakshi P.

    2017-02-01

    Understanding defect chemistry, particularly ion migration, and its significant effect on the surface’s optical and electronic properties is one of the major challenges impeding the development of hybrid perovskite-based devices. Here, using both experimental and theoretical approaches, we demonstrated that the surface layers of the perovskite crystals may acquire a high concentration of positively charged vacancies with the complementary negatively charged halide ions pushed to the surface. This charge separation near the surface generates an electric field that can induce an increase of optical band gap in the surface layers relative to the bulk. We found that the charge separation, electric field, and the amplitude of shift in the bandgap strongly depend on the halides and organic moieties of perovskite crystals. Our findings reveal the peculiarity of surface effects that are currently limiting the applications of perovskite crystals and more importantly explain their origins, thus enabling viable surface passivation strategies to remediate them.

  14. Protecting a Diamond Quantum Memory by Charge State Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfender, Matthias; Aslam, Nabeel; Simon, Patrick; Antonov, Denis; Thiering, Gergő; Burk, Sina; Fávaro de Oliveira, Felipe; Denisenko, Andrej; Fedder, Helmut; Meijer, Jan; Garrido, Jose A; Gali, Adam; Teraji, Tokuyuki; Isoya, Junichi; Doherty, Marcus William; Alkauskas, Audrius; Gallo, Alejandro; Grüneis, Andreas; Neumann, Philipp; Wrachtrup, Jörg

    2017-10-11

    In recent years, solid-state spin systems have emerged as promising candidates for quantum information processing. Prominent examples are the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, phosphorus dopants in silicon (Si:P), rare-earth ions in solids, and V Si -centers in silicon-carbide. The Si:P system has demonstrated that its nuclear spins can yield exceedingly long spin coherence times by eliminating the electron spin of the dopant. For NV centers, however, a proper charge state for storage of nuclear spin qubit coherence has not been identified yet. Here, we identify and characterize the positively charged NV center as an electron-spin-less and optically inactive state by utilizing the nuclear spin qubit as a probe. We control the electronic charge and spin utilizing nanometer scale gate electrodes. We achieve a lengthening of the nuclear spin coherence times by a factor of 4. Surprisingly, the new charge state allows switching of the optical response of single nodes facilitating full individual addressability.

  15. DNA Immobilization and Hybridization Detection by the Intrinsic Molecular Charge Using Capacitive Field-Effect Sensors Modified with a Charged Weak Polyelectrolyte Layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronder, Thomas S; Poghossian, Arshak; Scheja, Sabrina; Wu, Chunsheng; Keusgen, Michael; Mewes, Dieter; Schöning, Michael J

    2015-09-16

    Miniaturized setup, compatibility with advanced micro- and nanotechnologies, and ability to detect biomolecules by their intrinsic molecular charge favor the semiconductor field-effect platform as one of the most attractive approaches for the development of label-free DNA chips. In this work, a capacitive field-effect EIS (electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor) sensor covered with a layer-by-layer prepared, positively charged weak polyelectrolyte layer of PAH (poly(allylamine hydrochloride)) was used for the label-free electrical detection of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) immobilization and hybridization. The negatively charged probe single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules were electrostatically adsorbed onto the positively charged PAH layer, resulting in a preferentially flat orientation of the ssDNA molecules within the Debye length, thus yielding a reduced charge-screening effect and a higher sensor signal. Each sensor-surface modification step (PAH adsorption, probe ssDNA immobilization, hybridization with complementary target DNA (cDNA), reducing an unspecific adsorption by a blocking agent, incubation with noncomplementary DNA (ncDNA) solution) was monitored by means of capacitance-voltage and constant-capacitance measurements. In addition, the surface morphology of the PAH layer was studied by atomic force microscopy and contact-angle measurements. High hybridization signals of 34 and 43 mV were recorded in low-ionic strength solutions of 10 and 1 mM, respectively. In contrast, a small signal of 4 mV was recorded in the case of unspecific adsorption of fully mismatched ncDNA. The density of probe ssDNA and dsDNA molecules as well as the hybridization efficiency was estimated using the experimentally measured DNA immobilization and hybridization signals and a simplified double-layer capacitor model. The results of field-effect experiments were supported by fluorescence measurements, verifying the DNA-immobilization and hybridization event.

  16. Magnetic confinement system using charged ammonia targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porter, G.D.; Bogdanoff, A.

    1979-01-01

    A system is described for guiding charged laser targets to a predetermined focal spot of a laser along generally arbitrary, and especially horizontal, directions which comprises a series of electrostatic sensors which provide inputs to a computer for real time calculation of position, velocity, and direction of the target along an initial injection trajectory

  17. Charge Carrier Dynamics at Silver Nanocluster-Molecular Acceptor Interfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Almansaf, Abdulkhaleq

    2017-07-01

    A fundamental understanding of interfacial charge transfer at donor-acceptor interfaces is very crucial as it is considered among the most important dynamical processes for optimizing performance in many light harvesting systems, including photovoltaics and photo-catalysis. In general, the photo-generated singlet excitons in photoactive materials exhibit very short lifetimes because of their dipole-allowed spin radiative decay and short diffusion lengths. In contrast, the radiative decay of triplet excitons is dipole forbidden; therefore, their lifetimes are considerably longer. The discussion in this thesis primarily focuses on the relevant parameters that are involved in charge separation (CS), charge transfer (CT), intersystem crossing (ISC) rate, triplet state lifetime, and carrier recombination (CR) at silver nanocluster (NCs) molecular-acceptors interfaces. A combination of steady-state and femto- and nanosecond broadband transient absorption spectroscopies were used to investigate the charge carrier dynamics in various donor-acceptor systems. Additionally, this thesis was prolonged to investigate some important factors that influence the charge carrier dynamics in Ag29 silver NCs donor-acceptor systems, such as the metal doping and chemical structure of the nanocluster and molecular acceptors. Interestingly, clear correlations between the steady-state measurements and timeresolved spectroscopy results are found. In the first study, we have investigated the interfacial charge transfer dynamics in positively charged meso units of 5, 10, 15, 20-tetra (1- methyl-4-pyridino)-porphyrin tetra (p-toluene sulfonate) (TMPyP) and neutral charged 5, 10, 15, 20-tetra (4-pyridyl)-porphyrin (TPyP), with negatively charged undoped and gold (Au)- doped silver Ag29 NCs. Moreover, this study showed the impact of Au doping on the charge carrier dynamics of the system. In the second study, we have investigated the interfacial charge transfer dynamics in [Pt2 Ag23 Cl7 (PPh3

  18. Direct quantification of negatively charged functional groups on membrane surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Tiraferri, Alberto

    2012-02-01

    Surface charge plays an important role in membrane-based separations of particulates, macromolecules, and dissolved ionic species. In this study, we present two experimental methods to determine the concentration of negatively charged functional groups at the surface of dense polymeric membranes. Both techniques consist of associating the membrane surface moieties with chemical probes, followed by quantification of the bound probes. Uranyl acetate and toluidine blue O dye, which interact with the membrane functional groups via complexation and electrostatic interaction, respectively, were used as probes. The amount of associated probes was quantified using liquid scintillation counting for uranium atoms and visible light spectroscopy for the toluidine blue dye. The techniques were validated using self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols with known amounts of charged moieties. The surface density of negatively charged functional groups of hand-cast thin-film composite polyamide membranes, as well as commercial cellulose triacetate and polyamide membranes, was quantified under various conditions. Using both techniques, we measured a negatively charged functional group density of 20-30nm -2 for the hand-cast thin-film composite membranes. The ionization behavior of the membrane functional groups, determined from measurements with toluidine blue at varying pH, was consistent with published data for thin-film composite polyamide membranes. Similarly, the measured charge densities on commercial membranes were in general agreement with previous investigations. The relative simplicity of the two methods makes them a useful tool for quantifying the surface charge concentration of a variety of surfaces, including separation membranes. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  19. Squeezing out hydrated protons: low-frictional-energy triboelectric insulator charging on a microscopic scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolaus Knorr

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Though triboelectric charging of insulators is common, neither its mechanism nor the nature of the charge is well known. Most research has focused on the integral amount of charge transferred between two materials upon contact, establishing, e.g., a triboelectric series. Here, the charge distribution of tracks on insulating polymer films rubbed by polymer-covered pointed swabs is investigated in high resolution by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Pronounced bipolar charging was observed for all nine rubbing combinations of three different polymers, with absolute surface potentials of up to several volts distributed in streaks along the rubbing direction and varying in polarity on μm-length scales perpendicular to the rubbing direction. Charge densities increased considerably for rubbing in higher relative humidity, for higher rubbing loads, and for more hydrophilic polymers. The ends of rubbed tracks had positively charged rims. Surface potential decay with time was strongly accelerated in increased humidity, particularly for polymers with high water permeability. Based on these observations, a mechanism is proposed of triboelectrification by extrusions of prevalently hydrated protons, stemming from adsorbed and dissociated water, along pressure gradients on the surface by the mechanical action of the swab. The validity of this mechanism is supported by explanations given recently in the literature for positive streaming currents of water at polymer surfaces and by reports of negative charging of insulators tapped by accelerated water droplets and of potential built up between the front and the back of a rubbing piece, observations already made in the 19th century. For more brittle polymers, strongly negatively charged microscopic abrasive particles were frequently observed on the rubbed tracks. The negative charge of those particles is presumably due in part to triboemission of electrons by polymer chain scission, forming radicals and negatively

  20. Atomic structure of highly-charged ions. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livingston, A. Eugene

    2002-01-01

    Atomic properties of multiply charged ions have been investigated using excitation of energetic heavy ion beams. Spectroscopy of excited atomic transitions has been applied from the visible to the extreme ultraviolet wavelength regions to provide accurate atomic structure and transition rate data in selected highly ionized atoms. High-resolution position-sensitive photon detection has been introduced for measurements in the ultraviolet region. The detailed structures of Rydberg states in highly charged beryllium-like ions have been measured as a test of long-range electron-ion interactions. The measurements are supported by multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculations and by many-body perturbation theory. The high-angular-momentum Rydberg transitions may be used to establish reference wavelengths and improve the accuracy of ionization energies in highly charged systems. Precision wavelength measurements in highly charged few-electron ions have been performed to test the most accurate relativistic atomic structure calculations for prominent low-lying excited states. Lifetime measurements for allowed and forbidden transitions in highly charged few-electron ions have been made to test theoretical transition matrix elements for simple atomic systems. Precision lifetime measurements in laser-excited alkali atoms have been initiated to establish the accuracy of relativistic atomic many-body theory in many-electron systems

  1. Direct Probing of Polarization Charge at Nanoscale Level

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, Owoong [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Republic of Korea). School of Advanced Materials and Engineering; Seol, Daehee [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Republic of Korea). School of Advanced Materials and Engineering; Lee, Dongkyu [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division; Han, Hee [Korea Research Inst. of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon (South Korea); Lindfors-Vrejoiu, Ionela [Univ. of Cologne (Germany). Physics Inst.; Lee, Woo [Korea Research Inst. of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon (South Korea); Jesse, Stephen [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences; Lee, Ho Nyung [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division; Kalinin, Sergei V. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences; Alexe, Marin [Univ. of Warwick, Coventry (United Kingdom). Dept. of Physics; Kim, Yunseok [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Republic of Korea). School of Advanced Materials and Engineering

    2017-11-14

    Ferroelectric materials possess spontaneous polarization that can be used for multiple applications. Owing to a long-term development of reducing the sizes of devices, the preparation of ferroelectric materials and devices is entering the nanometer-scale regime. In order to evaluate the ferroelectricity, there is a need to investigate the polarization charge at the nanoscale. Nonetheless, it is generally accepted that the detection of polarization charges using a conventional conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) without a top electrode is not feasible because the nanometer-scale radius of an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip yields a very low signal-to-noise ratio. But, the detection is unrelated to the radius of an AFM tip and, in fact, a matter of the switched area. In this work, the direct probing of the polarization charge at the nanoscale is demonstrated using the positive-up-negative-down method based on the conventional CAFM approach without additional corrections or circuits to reduce the parasitic capacitance. The polarization charge densities of 73.7 and 119.0 µC cm-2 are successfully probed in ferroelectric nanocapacitors and thin films, respectively. The results we obtained show the feasibility of the evaluation of polarization charge at the nanoscale and provide a new guideline for evaluating the ferroelectricity at the nanoscale.

  2. Moisture effect on the dielectric response and space charge behaviour of mineral oil impregnated paper insulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao Jian; Liao Ruijin; Chen, George

    2011-01-01

    Dielectric response and space charge behaviour of oil-paper insulation sample with different moisture contents were investigated using the frequency dielectric spectroscopy (FDS) and the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) technique, respectively. The influence of moisture on the dielectric response and space charge behaviour of oil impregnated paper insulation was analysed. Results show that the moisture has great effect on the FDS and space charge behaviour of oil impregnated paper insulation. In the frequency range of 10 -2 ∼10 6 Hz, the conductivity and the capacitance of oil impregnated paper increases with its moisture content. The space charge distribution of oil-paper sample with lower and higher moisture contents is very different from each other. The higher the moisture concentration of the oil impregnated paper, the easier the negative charge penetration into the insulation paper. There is a significant amount of positive charge accumulated at the paper-paper interface near to the cathode for oilpaper sample with lower moisture content. However, the positive charge appears in the middle layer paper for oil-paper sample with higher moisture content. Due to the high conductivity, the charge trapped in the oil-paper sample with higher moisture content disappears much faster than that in the oil-paper sample with lower moisture content after removing the voltage.

  3. Moisture effect on the dielectric response and space charge behaviour of mineral oil impregnated paper insulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao Jian; Liao Ruijin [State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University (China); Chen, George, E-mail: jh210v@ecs.soton.ac.uk [School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton (United Kingdom)

    2011-08-12

    Dielectric response and space charge behaviour of oil-paper insulation sample with different moisture contents were investigated using the frequency dielectric spectroscopy (FDS) and the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) technique, respectively. The influence of moisture on the dielectric response and space charge behaviour of oil impregnated paper insulation was analysed. Results show that the moisture has great effect on the FDS and space charge behaviour of oil impregnated paper insulation. In the frequency range of 10{sup -2}{approx}10{sup 6}Hz, the conductivity and the capacitance of oil impregnated paper increases with its moisture content. The space charge distribution of oil-paper sample with lower and higher moisture contents is very different from each other. The higher the moisture concentration of the oil impregnated paper, the easier the negative charge penetration into the insulation paper. There is a significant amount of positive charge accumulated at the paper-paper interface near to the cathode for oilpaper sample with lower moisture content. However, the positive charge appears in the middle layer paper for oil-paper sample with higher moisture content. Due to the high conductivity, the charge trapped in the oil-paper sample with higher moisture content disappears much faster than that in the oil-paper sample with lower moisture content after removing the voltage.

  4. The influence of the speed of the down-ward leader channel in computation of additional charge for protection against direct lightning strike by charge transfer system in 'ultra-corona' mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talevski, V.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper computation of additional charge is done for protection against direct lightning strike, by charge transfer system, by point electrode, in 'ultra-corona' mode. The influence of the voltage increase in a very small time interval is computed and the influence is taken into consideration in the computation of the additional space charge on the object used for protection. The model of the electrical thundercloud is taken into consideration with all the electrical charge in it with its corresponding heights above ground. Plotted values are presented of the speed of the down-ward leader from the cloud versus the additional space charge, needed to be placed on the top of the object protected by direct lightning. Plotted values are also presented of different position of the horizontal distance of the protected object and its height versus the additional space charge. (Authors)

  5. Enabling fast charging – A battery technology gap assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, Shabbir; Bloom, Ira; Jansen, Andrew N.; Tanim, Tanvir; Dufek, Eric J.; Pesaran, Ahmad; Burnham, Andrew; Carlson, Richard B.; Dias, Fernando; Hardy, Keith; Keyser, Matthew; Kreuzer, Cory; Markel, Anthony; Meintz, Andrew; Michelbacher, Christopher; Mohanpurkar, Manish; Nelson, Paul A.; Robertson, David C.; Scoffield, Don; Shirk, Matthew; Stephens, Thomas; Vijayagopal, Ram; Zhang, Jiucai

    2017-11-01

    The battery technology literature is reviewed, with an emphasis on key elements that limit extreme fast charging. Key gaps in existing elements of the technology are presented as well as developmental needs. Among these needs are advanced models and methods to detect and prevent lithium plating; new positive-electrode materials which are less prone to stress-induced failure; better electrode designs to accommodate very rapid diffusion in and out of the electrode; measure temperature distributions during fast charge to enable / validate models; and develop thermal management and pack designs to accommodate the higher operating voltage.

  6. Ultrafast Charge Photogeneration in MEH-PPV Charge-Transfer Complexes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakulin, Artem A.; Paraschuk, Dmitry Yu; Pshenichnikov, Maxim S.; van Loosdrecht, Paul H. M.; Corkum, P; DeSilvestri, S; Nelson, KA; Riedle, E; Schoenlein, RW

    2009-01-01

    Visible-pump - IR-probe spectroscopy is used to study the ultrafast charge dynamics in MEH-PPV based charge-transfer complexes and donor-acceptor blends. Transient anisotropy of the polymer polaron band provides invaluable insights into excitation localisation and charge-transfer pathways.

  7. Gap states of charged soliton in polyacetylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Dingwei; Liu Jie; Fu Rouli

    1988-10-01

    By considering the electron interaction in polyacetylene, it is found that two gap states in charged solitons of trans-polyacetylene exist: one is deep level, another is shallow level. The deep one shifts 0.23 ev down (for positive soliton) or up (for negative soliton) from the center of the gap; while the shallow one is 0.06 ev under the bottom of conduction band (positive soliton) or above the top of valence band (negative soliton). These results agree with the absorption spectra of trans-polyacetylene. (author). 5 refs, 4 figs

  8. Atomic charges of sulfur in ionic liquids: experiments and calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogarty, Richard M; Rowe, Rebecca; Matthews, Richard P; Clough, Matthew T; Ashworth, Claire R; Brandt, Agnieszka; Corbett, Paul J; Palgrave, Robert G; Smith, Emily F; Bourne, Richard A; Chamberlain, Thomas W; Thompson, Paul B J; Hunt, Patricia A; Lovelock, Kevin R J

    2017-12-14

    Experimental near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra, X-ray photoelectron (XP) spectra and Auger electron spectra are reported for sulfur in ionic liquids (ILs) with a range of chemical structures. These values provide experimental measures of the atomic charge in each IL and enable the evaluation of the suitability of NEXAFS spectroscopy and XPS for probing the relative atomic charge of sulfur. In addition, we use Auger electron spectroscopy to show that when XPS binding energies differ by less than 0.5 eV, conclusions on atomic charge should be treated with caution. Our experimental data provides a benchmark for calculations of the atomic charge of sulfur obtained using different methods. Atomic charges were computed for lone ions and ion pairs, both in the gas phase (GP) and in a solvation model (SMD), with a wide range of ion pair conformers considered. Three methods were used to compute the atomic charges: charges from the electrostatic potential using a grid based method (ChelpG), natural bond orbital (NBO) population analysis and Bader's atoms in molecules (AIM) approach. By comparing the experimental and calculated measures of the atomic charge of sulfur, we provide an order for the sulfur atoms, ranging from the most negative to the most positive atomic charge. Furthermore, we show that both ChelpG and NBO are reasonable methods for calculating the atomic charge of sulfur in ILs, based on the agreement with both the XPS and NEXAFS spectroscopy results. However, the atomic charges of sulfur derived from ChelpG are found to display significant, non-physical conformational dependence. Only small differences in individual atomic charge of sulfur were observed between lone ion (GP) and ion pair IL(SMD) model systems, indicating that ion-ion interactions do not strongly influence individual atomic charges.

  9. Space charge in ionization detectors and the NA48 electromagnetic calorimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palestini, S.; Barr, G.D.; Biino, C.; Calafiura, P.; Ceccucci, A.; Cerri, C.; Chollet, J.C.; Cirilli, M.; Cogan, J.; Costantini, F.; Crepe, S.; Cundy, D.; Fantechi, R.; Fayard, L.; Fischer, G.; Formica, A.; Frabetti, P.L.; Funk, W.; Gianoli, A.; Giudici, S.; Gonidec, A.; Gorini, B.; Govi, G.; Iconomidou-Fayard, L.; Kekelidze, V.; Kubischta, W.; Luitz, S.; Mannelli, I.; Martini, M.; Mikulec, I.; Norton, A.; Ocariz, J.; Schinzel, D.; Sozzi, M.; Tatishvili, G.; Tkatchev, A.; Unal, G.; Velasco, M.; Vossnack, O.; Wahl, H.

    1999-01-01

    The subject of space charge due to positive ions slowly moving in parallel plate ionization chambers is considered. A model for the degradation of the detector response is developed, with particular emphasis on electromagnetic calorimeters.The topics discussed include: (a) the stationary; (b) the time dependent cases; (c) the limit of very large space charge; (d) the electric field dependence of the electron drift velocity; (e) the effect of longitudinal development of showers; (f) the behaviour of the average reductions of response; (g) the non-uniformity of response for different positions of the shower axis inside the cell defined by the electrodes. The NA48 calorimeter is used as application and for comparison of results

  10. 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

  11. Positively-charged semi-tunnel is a structural and surface characteristic of polyphosphate-binding proteins: an in-silico study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zheng Zachory Wei

    Full Text Available Phosphate is essential for all major life processes, especially energy metabolism and signal transduction. A linear phosphate polymer, polyphosphate (polyP, linked by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds, can interact with various proteins, playing important roles as an energy source and regulatory factor. However, polyP-binding structures are largely unknown. Here we proposed a putative polyP binding site, a positively-charged semi-tunnel (PCST, identified by surface electrostatics analyses in polyP kinases (PPKs and many other polyP-related proteins. We found that the PCSTs in varied proteins were folded in different secondary structure compositions. Molecular docking calculations revealed a significant value for binding affinity to polyP in PCST-containing proteins. Utilizing the PCST identified in the β subunit of PPK3, we predicted the potential polyP-binding domain of PPK3. The discovery of this feature facilitates future searches for polyP-binding proteins and discovery of the mechanisms for polyP-binding activities. This should greatly enhance the understanding of the many physiological functions of protein-bound polyP and the involvement of polyP and polyP-binding proteins in various human diseases.

  12. Integer Charge Transfer and Hybridization at an Organic Semiconductor/Conductive Oxide Interface

    KAUST Repository

    Gruenewald, Marco

    2015-02-11

    We investigate the prototypical hybrid interface formed between PTCDA and conductive n-doped ZnO films by means of complementary optical and electronic spectroscopic techniques. We demonstrate that shallow donors in the vicinity of the ZnO surface cause an integer charge transfer to PTCDA, which is clearly restricted to the first monolayer. By means of DFT calculations, we show that the experimental signatures of the anionic PTCDA species can be understood in terms of strong hybridization with localized states (the shallow donors) in the substrate and charge back-donation, resulting in an effectively integer charge transfer across the interface. Charge transfer is thus not merely a question of locating the Fermi level above the PTCDA electron-transport level but requires rather an atomistic understanding of the interfacial interactions. The study reveals that defect sites and dopants can have a significant influence on the specifics of interfacial coupling and thus on carrier injection or extraction.

  13. Effect of Surface Hydration on Antifouling Properties of Mixed Charged Polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leng, Chuan; Huang, Hao; Zhang, Kexin; Hung, Hsiang-Chieh; Xu, Yao; Li, Yaoxin; Jiang, Shaoyi; Chen, Zhan

    2018-05-07

    Interfacial water structure on a polymer surface in water (or surface hydration) is related to the antifouling activity of the polymer. Zwitterionic polymer materials exhibit excellent antifouling activity due to their strong surface hydration. It was proposed to replace zwitterionic polymers using mixed charged polymers because it is much easier to prepare mixed charged polymer samples with much lower costs. In this study, using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, we investigated interfacial water structures on mixed charged polymer surfaces in water, and how such structures change while exposing to salt solutions and protein solutions. The 1:1 mixed charged polymer exhibits excellent antifouling property while other mixed charged polymers with different ratios of the positive/negative charges do not. It was found that on the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface, SFG water signal is dominated by the contribution of the strongly hydrogen bonded water molecules, indicating strong hydration of the polymer surface. The responses of the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface to salt solutions are similar to those of zwitterionic polymers. Interestingly, exposure to high concentrations of salt solutions leads to stronger hydration of the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface after replacing the salt solution with water. Protein molecules do not substantially perturb the interfacial water structure on the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface and do not adsorb to the surface, showing that this mixed charged polymer is an excellent antifouling material.

  14. 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

  15. Modulating the line shape of magnetoconductance by varying the charge injection in polymer light-emitting diodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nidya Chitraningrum

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available We fabricate the phenyl-substituted poly(p-phenylene vinylene copolymer (super yellow, SY-PPV-based polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs with different device architectures to modulate the injection of opposite charge carriers and investigate the corresponding magnetoconductance (MC responses. At the first glance, we find that all PLEDs exhibit the positive MC responses. By applying the mathematical analysis to fit the curves with two empirical equations of a non-Lorentzian and a Lorentzian function, we are able to extract the hidden negative MC component from the positive MC curve. We attribute the growth of the negative MC component to the reduced interaction of the triplet excitons with charges to generate the free charge carriers as modulated by the applied magnetic field, known as the triplet exciton-charge reaction, by analyzing MC responses for PLEDs of the charge-unbalanced and hole-blocking device configurations. The negative MC component causes the broadening of the line shape in MC curves.

  16. Bond charges and electronic charge transfer in ternary semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pietsch, U.

    1986-01-01

    By means of a simple molecule-theoretic model of 'linear superposition of two-electron molecules' the bond charges between nearest neighbours and the effective charges of ions are calculated for ternary zinc-blende structure alloys as well as chalcopyrite semiconductors. Taking into account both, the charge transfer among the ions caused by the differences of electronegativities of atoms used and between the bonds created by the internal stress of the lattice a nearly unvaried averaged bond charge amount of the alloy is found, but rather dramatically changed local bond charge parameters in comparison with the respective values of binary compounds used. This fact should influence the noncentral force interaction in such semiconductors. (author)

  17. Charging machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medlin, J.B.

    1976-01-01

    A charging machine for loading fuel slugs into the process tubes of a nuclear reactor includes a tubular housing connected to the process tube, a charging trough connected to the other end of the tubular housing, a device for loading the charging trough with a group of fuel slugs, means for equalizing the coolant pressure in the charging trough with the pressure in the process tubes, means for pushing the group of fuel slugs into the process tube and a latch and a seal engaging the last object in the group of fuel slugs to prevent the fuel slugs from being ejected from the process tube when the pusher is removed and to prevent pressure liquid from entering the charging machine. 3 claims, 11 drawing figures

  18. Electric vehicle battery charging algorithm using PMSM windings and an inverter as an active rectifier

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zaja, Mario; Oprea, Matei-lon; Suárez, Carlos Gómez

    2014-01-01

    for battery charging. Alternatively, charging could be done using the motor windings as grid side inductors and controlling the inverter to operate as an active boost rectifier. The challenge in this approach is the unequal phase inductances which depend on the rotor position. Another problem appears when...... an integrated charger control algorithm to charge the battery through a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) windings....

  19. Chromatographic speciation of Cr(III)-species, inter-species equilibrium isotope fractionation and improved chemical purification strategies for high-precision isotope analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Kirsten Kolbjørn; Wielandt, Daniel Kim Peel; Schiller, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Chromatographic purification of chromium (Cr), which is required for high-precision isotope analysis, is complicated by the presence of multiple Cr-species with different effective charges in the acid digested sample aliquots. The differing ion exchange selectivity and sluggish reaction rates of ...

  20. Triple dividends of water consumption charges in South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Letsoalo, Anthony; Blignaut, James; de Wet, Theuns; de Wit, Martin; Hess, Sebastiaan; Tol, Richard S. J.; van Heerden, Jan

    2007-05-01

    The South African government is exploring ways to address water scarcity problems by introducing a water resource management charge on the quantity of water used in sectors such as irrigated agriculture, mining, and forestry. It is expected that a more efficient water allocation, lower use, and a positive impact on poverty can be achieved. This paper reports on the validity of these claims by applying a computable general equilibrium model to analyze the triple dividend of water consumption charges in South Africa: reduced water use, more rapid economic growth, and a more equal income distribution. It is shown that an appropriate budget-neutral combination of water charges, particularly on irrigated agriculture and coal mining, and reduced indirect taxes, particularly on food, would yield triple dividends, that is, less water use, more growth, and less poverty.