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Numerical studies of flames in wide tubes: stability limits of curved stationary flames

Flame dynamics in wide tubes with ideally adiabatical and slip walls is studied by means of direct numerical simulations of the complete set of hydrodynamical equations including thermal conduction, fuel diffusion, viscosity, and chemical kinetics. Stability limits of curved stationary flames in wide tubes and the hydrodynamic instability of these flames (the secondary Darrieus-Landau instability) are investigated. The stability limits found in the present numerical simulations are in a very good agreement with the previous theoretical predictions. It is obtained that close to the stability limits the secondary Darrieus-Landau instability results in an extra cusp at the flame front. It is shown that the curved flames subject to the secondary Darrieus-Landau instability propagate with velocity considerably larger than the velocity of the stationary flames.

Journal Article↗

Effects of random potential on transport.

The effects of random potential on the transport of two systems, which are the motion of motor proteins along a biopolymer and the thermally assisted vortex diffusion in layered high-Tc superconductors, are investigated, respectively. It is found that the effects of the random potential on the transport process as the amplitude of random potential increased are much more remarkable than those as the correlation length of random potential increased. The amplitude and the correlation length of random potential play opposing roles in the transport of the systems.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

Anomalous diffusion, localization, aging, and subaging effects in trap models at very low temperature.

We study in detail the dynamics of the one-dimensional symmetric trap model via a real-space renormalization procedure which becomes exact in the limit of zero temperature. In this limit, the diffusion front in each sample consists of two delta peaks, which are completely out of equilibrium with each other. The statistics of the positions and weights of these delta peaks over the samples allows to obtain explicit results for all observables in the limit T-->0. We first compute disorder averages of one-time observables, such as the diffusion front, the thermal width, the localization parameters, the two-particle correlation function, and the generating function of thermal cumulants of the position. We then study aging and subaging effects: our approach reproduces very simply the two different aging exponents and yields explicit forms for scaling functions of the various two-time correlations. We also extend the real-space renormalization group method to include systematic corrections to the previous zero temperature procedure via a series expansion in T. We then consider the generalized trap model with parameter alpha in [0,1] and obtain that the large scale effective model at low temperature does not depend on alpha in any dimension, so that the only observables sensitive to alpha are those that measure the "local persistence," such as the probability to remain exactly in the same trap during a time interval. Finally, we extend our approach at a scaling level for the trap model in d=2 and obtain the two relevant time scales for aging properties.

Journal Article↗

Three-body interactions in colloidal systems.

We present a direct measurement of three-body interactions in a colloidal system comprised of three charged colloidal particles. Two of the particles have been confined by means of a scanned laser tweezers to a line-shaped optical trap where they diffused due to thermal fluctuations. Upon the approach of a third particle, attractive three-body interactions have been observed. The results are in qualitative agreement with additionally performed nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann calculations, which also allow us to investigate the microionic density distributions in the neighborhood of the interacting colloidal particles.

Journal Article↗

Theory and modeling of accelerating flames in tubes.

The analytical theory of premixed laminar flames accelerating in tubes is developed, which is an important part of the fundamental problem of flame transition to detonation. According to the theory, flames with realistically large density drop at the front accelerate exponentially from a closed end of a tube with nonslip at the walls. The acceleration is unlimited in time; it may go on until flame triggers detonation. The analytical formulas for the acceleration rate, for the flame shape and the velocity profile in the flow pushed by the flame are obtained. The theory is validated by extensive numerical simulations. The numerical simulations are performed for the complete set of hydrodynamic combustion equations including thermal conduction, viscosity, diffusion, and chemical kinetics. The theoretical predictions are in a good agreement with the numerical results. It is also shown how the developed theory can be used to understand acceleration of turbulent flames.

Journal Article↗

Evidence of highly collective Co diffusion in the whole stability range of Co-Zr glasses

Using a radiotracer technique, we have measured the isotope effect E = dln(D)/dln(m(1/2)) of Co diffusion in CoxZr1-x glasses for 0. 31</=x</=0.86. E is close to zero (E = 0+/-0.1) in the whole range, covering 3 orders of magnitude in the diffusivity, despite the existence of large activation volumes. These results strongly suggest a highly collective diffusion mechanism to be a quite general phenomenon in metallic glasses and point to diffusion via delocalized thermal effects at certain compositions.

Journal Article↗

Intrinsic room-temperature electrophosphorescence from a pi-conjugated polymer.

Electrically induced phosphorescence from a poly(para-phenylene) ladder-type polymer is observed for the first time and characterized using time resolved spectroscopy. Short-lived phosphorescence is also observed in gated fluorescence spectra and is found to be quenched reversibly by oxygen. Thermally activated triplet diffusion to covalently bound palladium sites, which are formed at a concentration of about 80 ppm in a side reaction during polymer synthesis, is believed to be the cause of this novel effect, which suggests a new approach to the design of efficient electroluminescent materials.

Journal Article↗

Observation of flux reversal in a symmetric optical thermal ratchet.

We demonstrate that a cycle of three holographic optical trapping patterns can implement a thermal ratchet for diffusing colloidal spheres and that the ratchet-driven transport displays flux reversal as a function of the cycle frequency and the intertrap separation. Unlike previously described ratchet models, the approach we describe involves three equivalent states, each of which is locally and globally spatially symmetric, with spatiotemporal symmetry being broken by the sequence of states.

Journal Article↗

Coefficients for solution of the analytical freezing equation in the range of states for rapid solidification of biological systems.

Solution of the classical solidification heat transfer problem for many biological applications involves states for which roots of the transcendental equation associated with the governing differential equation are not available. These roots are calculated and presented for conditions that characterize a large ratio of solid to liquid phase thermal conductivities and diffusivities and large differences between the initial and final temperatures for the cooling process.

Cryopreservation↗

Oxygen transfer in the corneal-contact lens system.

The clinical results of contact lens wearers indicate that materials which theoretically are adequate to prevent corneal hypoxia and edema do not perform optimally under actual wearing conditions. Optimization of the cornea-tear-lens system requires an analysis of the modes of oxygen transport, mass transfer resistances, and characteristic dimensions. The lens properties are a function of polymer composition. Thus, investigations for ideal lens materials may result in limitless test copolymers and graft polymers of siloxane, methylmethacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl-methacrylate, vinylpyrollidone, vinylacetate, and cellulose acetate butyrate of varying degrees of cross-linking and crystallinity. In an attempt to channel research efforts, this review will state the developments to date and the desirable properties of an optimal cornea-tear-lens system. The logic should encompass a theory and model whereby parameters are identified and varied within satisfactory physiological limitations, and experiments which provide data indicative of the in vivo conditions. The parameters must reflect the inherent transport properties of the corneal-contact lens system. Contact lenses may be categorized as soft, gas-permeable rigid/hydrophobic flexible, or hard. The major differences between these three categories are the properties: equilibrium water content or degree of hydration, tendency for water pervaporation and/or dehydration, surface hydrophobicity, thermal conductivity, oxygen diffusivity and solubility, lens thickness, rest height over corneal tear, flexibility, lens mobility over the cornea, cross-linking, crystallinity, stagnant boundary layer resistances, and manufacturing processes. Aside from complications presented by lens coatings and cleansing solutions, the most common problems experienced by lens wearers include corneal edema, dehydration involving the lens and the cornea, "blurry" vision due to localized corneal anoxia, debris trapped under the lens, and deposits on th surface of the lens. All of the aforementioned phenomena are either explicitly or implicitly associated with transport processes through and around the lens. Convection of tear fluid under a lens during a blink, diffusion of oxygen and water through the lens and the stagnant boundary-layer effect for mass transfer in the tear between blinks, and the overall nonisothermal effects on the transport of oxygen and water between the cornea and ambient conditions are reviewed.

Biocompatible Materials↗

A biological interpretation of transient anomalous subdiffusion. I. Qualitative model.

Anomalous subdiffusion has been reported for two-dimensional diffusion in the plasma membrane and three-dimensional diffusion in the nucleus and cytoplasm. If a particle diffuses in a suitable infinite hierarchy of binding sites, diffusion is well known to be anomalous at all times. But if the hierarchy is finite, diffusion is anomalous at short times and normal at long times. For a prescribed set of binding sites, Monte Carlo calculations yield the anomalous diffusion exponent and the average time over which diffusion is anomalous. If even a single binding site is present, there is a very short, almost artifactual, period of anomalous subdiffusion, but a hierarchy of binding sites extends the anomalous regime considerably. As is well known, an essential requirement for anomalous subdiffusion due to binding is that the diffusing particle cannot be in thermal equilibrium with the binding sites; an equilibrated particle diffuses normally at all times. Anomalous subdiffusion due to barriers, however, still occurs at thermal equilibrium, and anomalous subdiffusion due to a combination of binding sites and barriers is reduced but not eliminated on equilibration. This physical model is translated directly into a plausible biological model testable by single-particle tracking.

Binding Sites↗

The measurement of extravascular lung water by thermal-green dye indicator dilution.

The theory and practice of the thermal-dye indicator-dilution method for measurement of EVLW has been discussed, and all available animal data from our laboratory correlating EVTV and gravimetric EVLW have been presented. The method appears to function well over the entire range of edema seen , and to be minimally dependent on cardiac output. Thermal-indicator loss does not seem to be a significant problem and does not impair the accuracy of this method. Out results are consistent with earlier works in the field in identifying significant differences between the isotopic EVLW methods and the thermal-dye method, and it seems likely that these differences are due to the much greater diffusion rate of the thermal indicator.

Animals↗

Molecular packing of type I collagen in tendon.

X-ray diffraction of rat tail tendon shows that type I collagen fibrils contain regions of three-dimensional crystalline arrays; where molecular packing is speculated to be by a staggered sheet or microfibril arrangement. The X-ray diffraction pattern also contains a significant amount of diffuse scatter indicative of static and thermal disorder in fibrils. Removal of the diffuse scatter from the equatorial region of X-ray diffraction patterns obtained using synchrotron radiation allowed the Bragg intensities to be viewed on a flat background. Indexing of Bragg peak intensity on the 10, -10, 0 -1, 01, -11 and 1-1 row-lines of the triclinic unit cell have been used here to test possible sheet and microfibril packing arrangements. The relative translation of molecular segments in the gap and overlap regions as well as the telopeptide orientation have been investigated. A global search through combinations of molecular packing and molecular translation revealed that the sheet-type conformations cannot account for the observed low-angle off-meridional Bragg peak intensity distribution. A superior fit is obtained with D-staggered left-handed microfibril structures. The orientation of the telopeptides may indicate that there are interconnections between microfibrils that may explain the difficulty in isolating individual microfibrillar structures.

Animals↗

Diffusive uptake in passive and active adsorbent sampling using thermal desorption tubes.

Low flow active sampling techniques collecting vapors and gases using thermally desorbable adsorbents are now feasible and desirable in many applications as they permit long integration times, the potential for miniaturized sampling configurations, and other advantages. At very low air flow rates (< 1 ml min(-1)), diffusive uptake on adsorbents in conventional sorbent tubes may equal or exceed the active (pumped) uptake rate, and even at low flow rates (1-4 ml min(-1)), diffusive uptake may significantly bias measurements. Thus, corrections to account for the diffusive flux or means to limit the diffusive uptake are needed in low flow applications. This paper presents (1) a theoretical analysis of the role of diffusive and advective uptake for several sampling geometries of tube-type samplers; (2) experimental confirmation using both laboratory and field studies; (3) estimates of the tortuosity and porosity of the glass wool packing used to retain the adsorbent, parameters needed to estimate diffusive fluxes in passive and active sampling; (4) a demonstration that orifice-equipped low flow active samplers can reduce diffusive uptake and improve precision, and (5) a model predicting the saturated adsorbent layer that helps to account for the gradual decline in uptake rates seen in passive sampling. Diffusive uptake will depend on the tube configuration and diffusion coefficient of the substance of interest, but for conventional sampling tubes (0.4-0.5 cm id, 1.5 cm air gap), sample flow rates should be maintained above 1 to 4 ml min(-1) to keep errors below 5%. Laboratory experiments showed close agreement with theoretical calculations, and the field study using 1 to 4 d sampling periods and 0.3 ml min(-1) flows demonstrated that the orifice-equipped samplers essentially eliminated diffusive uptake. No significant practical difficulties are encountered using orifices, e.g., pressure drop is minimal. Experimental estimates of tortuosity (0.79 +/- 0.02) and porosity (0.92 +/- 0.10) of the glass wool packing (0.3 cm length) represent relatively little resistance to diffusion; however, variation in the packing and adsorbent placement can degrade the precision achievable by passive samplers. Diffusion barriers, consisting most simply of an orifice, may be used to lower the diffusive uptake. A needle-type orifice permits flows below 0.1 ml min(-1) and is suitable for sampling periods as long as several weeks, and it provided greater precision than conventional open-ended sampling tubes (8% compared to 13%). Finally, the gradual decrease in diffusive fluxes often seen in passive sampling is attributed to additional resistance posed by a saturated adsorbent layer, in agreement with a simple model based on total VOCs and specific adsorptivity of the adsorbent.

Adsorption↗

Regulation of immature protein dynamics in the endoplasmic reticulum.

The quality of nascent protein folding in vivo is influenced by the microdynamics of the proteins. Excessive collisions between proteins may lead to terminal misfolding, and the frequency of protein interactions with molecular chaperones determines their folding rates. However, it is unclear how immature protein dynamics are regulated. In this study, we analyzed the diffusion of immature tyrosinase in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of non-pigmented cells by taking advantage of the thermal sensitivity of the tyrosinase. The diffusion of tyrosinase tagged with yellow fluorescence protein (YFP) in living cells was directly measured using fluorescent correlation spectroscopy. The diffusion of folded tyrosinase in the ER of cells treated with brefeldin A, as measured by fluorescent correlation spectroscopy, was critically affected by the expression level of tyrosinase-YFP. Under defined conditions in which random diffusional motion of folded protein was allowed, we found that the millisecond-order diffusion rate observed for folded tyrosinase almost disappeared for the misfolded molecules synthesized at a nonpermissive high temperature. This was not because of enhanced aggregation at the high temperature, as terminally misfolded tyrosinase synthesized in the absence of calnexin interactions showed comparable, albeit slightly slower, diffusion. Yet, the thermally misfolded tyrosinase was not immobilized when measured by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. In contrast, terminally misfolded tyrosinase synthesized in cells in which alpha-glucosidases were inhibited showed extensive immobilization. Hence, we suggest that the ER represses random fluctuations of immature tyrosinase molecules while preventing their immobilization.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Measurement of effective Knudsen diffusion coefficients for powder beds used in heterogeneous uptake experiments.

The effective Knudsen diffusion coefficients for characteristic oxide powder beds used in heterogeneous uptake experiments have been measured using countercurrent diffusion and transient pressure drop techniques. Room-temperature thermal-velocity-normalized effective Knudsen diffusion coefficients are found to lie in the 0.15 to 0.35 microm range for magnesium silicate, aluminum oxide, and iron oxide powder beds. Measured values are compared with theoretical estimates and are consistent with low bed tortuosities (below 3) expected for media with open porosity above 0.5. The impact of uncertainties in effective diffusion coefficients on corrections of measured uptake coefficients is discussed. The value of careful uptake measurements in both the low and high sample mass limits is reinforced, as this allows uptake corrections independent of explicitly measured or estimated diffusion coefficient values. It is suggested that correction procedures requiring tortuosity values greater than 3 are suspect.

Journal Article↗