Study of the optical properties of a pulse-periodic high-pressure cesium discharge

Results of theoretical and experimental studies of the optical spectrum of a pulse-periodic high-pressure cesium discharge are presented. The results of calculations are in good agreement with experimental data. The possibility of creating an efficient light source based on recombination emission from the discharge plasma is demonstrated. The formation mechanisms of the continuous spectrum of discharge radiation are considered.     

Spectroscopic and probe measurements of the electron temperature in the plasma of a pulse-periodic microwave discharge in argon

A pulse-periodic 2.45-GHz electron-cyclotron resonance plasma source on the basis of a permanent- magnet mirror trap has been constructed and tested. Variations in the discharge parameters and the electron temperature of argon plasma have been investigated in the argon pressure range of 1 × 10^–4 to 4 × 10^–3 Torr at a net pulsed input microwave power of up to 600 W. The plasma electron temperature in the above ranges of gas pressures and input powers has been measured by a Langmuir probe and determined using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) from the intensity ratios of spectral lines. The OES results agree qualitatively and quantitatively with the data obtained using the double probe.     

Dissociation of nitrogen in a pulse-periodic dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

Nitrogen molecule dissociation in a pulse-periodic atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge is numerically analyzed. It is shown that the quenching rate of predissociation states at atmospheric pressure is relatively low and the production of nitrogen atoms in this case can be adequately described using the cross section for electron-impact dissociation of N₂ molecules taken from the paper by P.C. Cosby [J. Chem. Phys. 98, 9544 (1993)].     

不同处理条件对介质阻挡放电低温等离子体杀菌效果及影响机理研究

【目的】研究不同处理条件下介质阻挡放电低温等离子体对单增李斯特菌和肠炎沙门氏菌的杀菌效果,以及抑菌活性物质含量随处理时间的变化。【方法】以单增李斯特菌和肠炎沙门氏菌为对象,研究不同电压、时间及氧气浓度对介质阻挡放电低温等离子体杀菌效果的影响,通过气态活性物质测定管测定O_3和NO_2浓度随处理时间的变化,利用荧光强度表征菌液中产生的活性物质浓度,采用荧光分光光度法测定·OH、H_2O_2和~1O_2随处理时间的变化。【结果】采用70 kV、150 s或80 kV、1_20 s能够完全杀灭肠炎沙门氏菌,而单增李斯特菌只在80kV、1_20s条件下才能被完全杀死。采用50%O_2+50%N_2的混合气体能够在90 s内完全杀死细菌。随处理时间的增加,两种菌体细胞内活性氧物质含量呈逐渐增加趋势。【结论】电压、时间及氧气浓度均能显著增强等离子体的杀菌效果,其杀菌作用主要与H_2O_2、·OH、1O_2等活性氧物质的含量有关,其中·OH和H_2O_2是介质阻挡放电等离子体杀菌的主要物质。     

Interaction of near-IR laser radiation with plasma of a continuous optical discharge

The interaction of 1.07-μm laser radiation with plasma of a continuous optical discharge (COD) in xenon and argon at a pressure of p = 3–25 bar and temperature of T = 15 kK has been studied. The threshold power required to sustain COD is found to decrease with increasing gas pressure to P _t < 30 W in xenon at p > 20 bar and to P _t < 350 W in argon at p > 15 bar. This effect is explained by an increase in the coefficient of laser radiation absorption to 20?25 cm^–1 in Xe and 1?2 cm^–1 in Ar due to electronic transitions between the broadened excited atomic levels. The COD characteristics also depend on the laser beam refraction in plasma. This effect can be partially compensated by a tighter focusing of the laser beam. COD is applied as a broadband light source with a high spectral brightness.     

Simulation of toluene decomposition in a pulse-periodic discharge operating in a mixture of molecular nitrogen and oxygen

The kinetic model of toluene decomposition in nonequilibrium low-temperature plasma generated by a pulse-periodic discharge operating in a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen is developed. The results of numerical simulation of plasma-chemical conversion of toluene are presented; the main processes responsible for C₆H₅CH₃ decomposition are identified; the contribution of each process to total removal of toluene is determined; and the intermediate and final products of C₆H₅CH₃ decomposition are identified. It was shown that toluene in pure nitrogen is mostly decomposed in its reactions with metastable N₂(A₃?? _u ⁺ ) and N₂(a??¹?? _u ^? ) molecules. In the presence of oxygen, in the N₂ : O₂ gas mixture, the largest contribution to C₆H₅CH₃ removal is made by the hydroxyl radical OH which is generated in this mixture exclusively due to plasma-chemical reactions between toluene and oxygen decomposition products. Numerical simulation showed the existence of an optimum oxygen concentration in the mixture, at which toluene removal is maximum at a fixed energy deposition.     

Synthesis of hydrocarbons under presumed prebiotic conditions using high-frequency discharge

Summary Various hydrocarbons were synthesized by high-frequency discharge in a primordial terrestrial model atmosphere. The products were extracted by benzene or methanol and analyzed by GC-MS. The mean carbon chain length of the hydrocarbons formed by the discharge through pure CH₄ gas was less than 6. Benzene was also obtained. Some isomers were obtained for each of the hydrocarbons containing a given number of carbons. When a small amount of C₂H₂ was added to the CH₄, longer chain compounds were formed, as compared with discharge in CH₄ only. However, when the amount of C₂H₂ was increased, unextractable high molecular weight compounds were produced. The amounts of products decreased as the mixing ratio of CO₂ to CH₄ increased. No hydrocarbons were detected when the ratio of CO₂/CH₄ exceeded 1.     

Behavior of electrons under different biasing conditions in a multidipole plasma

This paper reports about the bi-Maxwellian nature of electrons in a filament discharge plasma that exist in a suitable working pressure range. The plasma is produced within a multidipole magnetic cage with a stainless steel mesh grid connected at one end of the cage. The variation in electron energy, plasma potential and electron energy probability function are studied by applying different bias voltage to the magnetic cage, mesh grid and the filaments. It is observed that the electron energies are highly influenced by the bias applied to the magnetic cage and the filaments. The plasma potential is found to be mostly affected by the cage bias voltage. A plane Langmuir probe is used to estimate the plasma parameters.     

Comparison of fungicidal properties of non-thermal plasma produced by corona discharge and dielectric barrier discharge

The inactivation of four micromycete species by action of non-thermal plasma was followed. Two sources of plasma were compared, namely, positive corona discharge and dielectric barrier discharge. The corona discharge appeared as suitable for fungal spore inactivation in water suspension, whereas the barrier discharge inactivated spores on the surface of cultivation agar. Cladosporium sphaerospermum was the most sensitive, being inactivated within 10 min of exposure to plasma, whereas Aspergillus oryzae displayed decrease in viable cell count only, the complete inactivation was not achieved even after 40 min of exposure. Intermediate sensitivity was found for Alternaria sp. and Byssochlamys nivea. The significant delay of growth was observed for all fungi after exposure to sublethal dose of plasma, but we failed to express this effect quantitatively.     

The survival of micromycetes and yeasts under the low-temperature plasma generated in electrical discharge

The fungicidal effect of low-temperature plasma generated by positive direct current discharge and its influence on the growth dynamics was evaluated on three micromycete species and yeast in water suspensions. The fungicidal effect was lower than analogous bactericidal effect and differs substantially among various fungal species. Together with the cidal effects, the slower growth of exposed fungal spores was observed.     

Continuous optical discharge in a gravitational field

A two-dimensional radiative gas-dynamic model is applied to calculating the parameters of a continuous optical discharge in a vertical focused CO₂ laser beam in air at atmospheric pressure in the Earth’s gravitational field.     

Studies of the optical properties of a nonequilibrium plasma in the MKV-4 facility

Results are presented from experimental and theoretical studies of a glowing plasma object emerging behind a shock front that propagates through the background gas at a pressure of p₀ = 6 torr after laser irradiation of a hollow spherical target. The results of calculations are compared to the experimental results obtained in the MKV-4 device (a component of the Iskra-5 facility).     

Formation of nanostructures in a plasma focus discharge

A new method for creating nanostructures in a plasma focus discharge is proposed. It is shown that the material of a micron-size dust target produced at the discharge axis efficiently evaporates and is then involved in the pinching process. After the pinch decays, the plasma expands with the thermal velocity and the evaporated dust material is deposited on the collectors in the form of fractal particles or nanoclusters organized into various structures. Such structures have a well-developed surface, which is important for various technological applications.     

Hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties of microorganisms under various culturing conditions

The index of hydrophobicity and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties of seven microbial cultures were determined by studying their adhesion to n-hexadecane. The index of hydrophobicity was shown to be a stable characteristic of a culture grown in media with different carbon sources. As was found for Escherichia coli K-12 and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus K-9 whose hydrophobicity indicates were quite different, the character of cell hydration was virtually independent of the growth phase and did not change upon either submerged or superficial cultivation.     

Regulatory properties of lysine-sensitive aspartokinase under equilibrium conditions

The regulatory properties of the lysine-sensitive aspartokinase (ATP : L-aspartate 4-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.2.4) have been studied under equilibrium conditions by determining the effects of modifiers on the rate of equilibrium isotope exchange between ADP and ATP. The extent of inhibition by lysine, leucine or phenylalanine is almost independent of substrate concentration but is influenced by the substrate/product ratio. Inhibition by a given concentration of inhibitor is increased when the ADP/ATP ratio is increased indicating a regulatory interaction between end products and cellular energy metabolism. Lysine inhibition is cooperative under equilibrium conditions and the parameters of the Hill equation are nearly identical to those obtained in initial velocity studies. A cooperative heterotropic interaction between lysine and leucine is also observed by the ATP-ADP exchange assay just as it is in initial velocity assays. Thus, the regulatory features of aspartokinase that are observed in initial velocity studies are also manifest under equilibrium conditions as revealed by equilibrium isotope exchange rates.     

Role of plasma electrons in the generation of a gas discharge plasma

The role of different ionization mechanisms in penning-type gas discharges used to generate an emitting plasma in plasma electron sources is considered. It is shown that, under certain conditions, a substantial contribution to the process of gas ionization is provided by plasma electrons.     

Hydrocarbon plasma chemistry in a continuous microwave discharge

A study is made of the relation between the kinetic processes involving carbon-containing species and the intensity ratios of different emission lines in synthesizing diamond films in a microwave discharge plasma. The intensity ratios of the emission lines are measured as functions of the pressure, composition, and flow rate of the gas mixture. The kinetic processes involving carbon-containing components are simulated under conditions close to the experimental ones. It is shown that the intensity ratios of different pairs of lines can be used to control diamond film deposition.     

Peroxiredoxin IV is a secretable protein with heparin-binding properties under reduced conditions

Peroxiredoxins (PRxs) play a role in protecting protein free thiol groups against oxidative damage and thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase activity. This report describes the characteristics of the fourth member of the mammalian PRxs, PRx IV. Rat PRx IV produced in Sf21 cells by a baculovirus expression system has two bands with different electrophoretic mobilities, 31 and 27 kDa [Matsumoto et al. (1999) FEBS Lett. 443, 246-250]. The 27-kDa PRx IV lacks the NH(2)-terminal 36 amino acids which correspond to a predicted leader peptide, which is required for secretion from cells. Thus, the 31-kDa form is probably a precursor form, and the 27-kDa form, a secretable form which is enzymatically active. Pulse-chase experiments of PRx IV-transfected COS-1 cells showed that PRx IV is processed within 10 min and released from cells. The secretable form contains both reduced and oxidized forms. The reduced form binds to both a heparin affinity column and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, while the oxidized form does not. The equilibrium dissociation constants, K(D), for heparin and heparan sulfate as judged by surface plasmon resonance experiments were 19 and 870 nM, respectively. The secretable form corresponds to the major bands found in most tissues, as evidenced by immunoblot analysis. Within cells, secretable form was largely localized on the endoplasmic reticulum, as judged by colocalization with calreticulin. Moreover, PRx IV has glutathione-dependent peroxidase activity in addition to thioredoxin-dependent activity. These data indicate that PRx IV is a secretable protein and may exert its protective function against oxidative damage by scavenging reactive oxygen species in the extracellular space.     

Heat and radiofrequency plasma glow discharge pretreatment of a titanium alloy: Eveidence for enhanced osteoinductive properties

It is believed that orthopedic and implant longevity can be improved by optimizing fixation, or direct bone‐implant contact, through the stimulation of new bone formation around the implant. The purpose of this study was to determine whether heat (600°C) or radiofrequency plasma glow discharge (RFGD) pretreatment of Ti6Al4V stimulated calcium‐phosphate mineral formation in cultures of attached MC3T3 osteoprogenitor cells with or without a fibronectin coating. Calcium‐phosphate mineral was analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/electron dispersive X‐ray microanalysis (EDAX) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). RFGD and heat pretreatments produced a general pattern of increased total soluble calcium levels, although the effect of heat pretreatment was greater than that of RFGD. SEM/EDAX showed the presence of calcium‐and phosphorus‐containing particles on untreated and treated disks that were more numerous on fibronectin‐coated disks. These particles were observed earliest (1 week) on RFGD‐pretreated surfaces. FTIR analyses showed that the heat pretreatment produced a general pattern of increased levels of apatite mineral at 2–4 weeks; a greater effect was observed for fibronectin‐coated disks compared to uncoated disks. The observed findings suggest that heat pretreatment of Ti6Al4V increased the total mass of the mineral formed in MC3T3 osteoprogenitor cell cultures more than RFGD while the latter pretreatment hastened the early deposition of mineral. These findings help to support the hypothesis that the pretreatments enhance the osteoinductive properties of the alloy. J. Cell. Biochem. 114: 1917–1927, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.