Generalized Bohm’s criterion and negative anode voltage fall in electric discharges

The value of the voltage fall across the anode sheath is found as a function of the current density. Analytic solutions are obtained in a wide range of the ratio of the directed velocity of plasma electrons v ₀ to their thermal velocity v _T . It is shown that the voltage fall in a one-dimensional collisionless anode sheath is always negative. At the small values of v ₀/v _T , the obtained expression asymptotically transforms into the Langmuir formula. Generalized Bohm’s criterion for an electric discharge with allowance for the space charge density ρ(0), electric field E(0), ion velocity v _i (0), and ratio v ₀/v _T at the plasma-sheath interface is formulated. It is shown that the minimum value of the ion velocity v _i ^* (0) corresponds to the vanishing of the electric field at one point inside the sheath. The dependence of v _i ^* (0) on ρ(0), E(0), and v ₀/v _T determines the boundary of the existence domain of stationary solutions in the sheath. Using this criterion, the maximum possible degree of contraction of the electron current at the anode is determined for a short high-current vacuum arc discharge.     

Electron leakage mechanism in a plasma-filled magnetically insulated transmission line

It is shown that relativistic electron current can propagate across the magnetic field B ₀ over a distance d much larger than the electron gyroradius, r ₀ ? m _e v _z c/(eB ₀) ? d. This current is driven by the Hall electric field, which is generated on a spatial scale equal to the magnetic Debye radius r _B = B ₀/(4πen _e) and causes the electrons to drift in crossed electric and magnetic fields. For a plane equilibrium current configuration, analytic profiles of the electron velocity and electron density are calculated and the electric and magnetic fields are determined. The results obtained are used to explain electron leakages in magnetically insulated transmission lines filled with a plasma expanding from the electrodes. Equations describing an equilibrium configuration of the ions and electrons that drift simultaneously across a strong magnetic field are derived.     

Thermotropic gelation of ovalbumin: 2. Boundary conditions on the formation and the concentration dependence of equilibrium elastic modulus for thermotropic ovalbumin gels

Studies were made on the boundary conditions for thermotropic ovalbumin gelation at pH within the range 2.5 to 10.0. The pH dependence of the gelation threshold, C₀, and denaturation temperature, T_d, were obtained. The dependence C₀(pH) has a sharp minimum close to the isoelectric point (pl). Over pH range 2.5 to 4.0 the dependence T_d(pH) is linear; although above pI it shows unusual behaviour. T_d increases smoothly, becoming a constant value (T_d=80°C) at pH 7. Analysis of the temperature dependence of Leu's line integral intensity in the p.m.r. spectrum of ovalbumin shows that the temperature threshold of thermotropic gelation closely approximates to T_d. A diagram for the state of an ovalbumin -water system was constructed in temperature-concentration-pH coordinates. The dependences of the initial shear modulus for thermotropic ovalbumin gels on the concentration (0.06≤C≤0.25g/cm³ were obtained at pH 4.0, 7.0, 8.5, 10.0. They are equivalent to the concentration dependence of the equilibrium elastic modulus E_e(C). The dependences obtained may be reduced to the theoretical master dependence of Hermans, $\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{(rm}\text{C}\text{?}\text{)}$, where $\text{C}\text{?}\text{=}\text{C}\text{/}\text{C}{}_0$ is the reduced concentration. Hermans' theory, based o the model for random cross-linking of linear identical macromolecules without cyclization, adequately describes the equilibrium elastic properties of thermotropic ovalbumin gels.     

Analysis of the efficiency of lower hybrid current drive in the FT-2 tokamak

Results are presented from experimental studies of the efficiency of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) in the FT-2 tokamak. The dependence of the LHCD efficiency on the grill phasing Δφ and RF oscillator power was determined experimentally in a wide range of plasma densities. It is shown that, at high plasma currents (i.e., at sufficiently high electron temperatures), current drive is suppressed when the plasma density reaches its resonance value n _LH for the pumping wave frequency, rather than when parametric decay comes into play (as was observed in regimes with lower plasma currents and, accordingly, lower electron temperatures T _e ). In order to analyze the experimentally observed effect of LHCD and its dependence on the value and sign of the antenna phasing, the spectra of the excited LH waves, P(N _z ), were calculated. Simulations using the FRTC code with allowance for the P(N _z ) spectrum and the measured plasma parameters made it possible to calculate the value and direction of the LH-driven current, which are determined by the spectrum of the excited LH waves. It is shown that the synergetic effect caused by the interaction between different spectral components of the excited RF wave plays a decisive role in the bridging of the gap in the wave spectrum.     

Kinetics of the Ca, H, and Mg Interaction with the Ion-Binding Sites of the SR Ca-ATPase

Electrochromic styryl dyes were used to investigate mutually antagonistic effects of Ca²⁺ and H⁺ on binding of the other ion in the E₁ and P-E₂ states of the SR Ca-ATPase. On the cytoplasmic side of the protein in the absence of Mg²⁺ a strictly competitive binding sequence, H₂E₁?HE₁?E₁?CaE₁?Ca₂E₁, was found with two Ca²⁺ ions bound cooperatively. The apparent equilibrium dissociation constants were in the order of K_1/2(2 Ca) = 34 nM, K_1/2(H) = 1 nM and K_1/2(H₂) = 1.32 μM. Up to 2 Mg²⁺ ions were also able to enter the binding sites electrogenically and to compete with the transported substrate ions (K_1/2(Mg) = 165 μM, K_1/2(Mg₂) = 7.4 mM). In the P-E₂ state, with binding sites facing the lumen of the sarcoplasmatic reticulum, the measured concentration dependence of Ca²⁺ and H⁺ binding could be described satisfactorily only with a branched reaction scheme in which a mixed state, P-E₂CaH, exists. From numerical simulations, equilibrium dissociation constants could be determined for Ca²⁺ (0.4 mM and 25 mM) and H⁺ (2 μM and 10 μM). These simulations reproduced all observed antagonistic concentration dependences. The comparison of the dielectric ion binding in the E₁ and P-E₂ conformations indicates that the transition between both conformations is accompanied by a shift of their (dielectric) position.     

Fracto‐mechanoluminescence induced by impulsive deformation of II–VI semiconductors

When II–VI semiconductors are fractured, initially the mechanoluminescence (ML) intensity increases with time, attains a maximum value I_m at a time t_m, at which the fracture is completed. After t_m, the ML intensity decreases with time, I_m increase linearly with the impact velocity v₀ and I_T initially increase linearly with v₀ and then it attains a saturation value for a higher value of v₀. For photoluminescence, the temperature dependence comes mainly from luminescence efficiency, η_o; however, for the ML excitation, there is an additional factor, r_t dependent on temperature. During fracture, charged dislocations moving near the tip of moving cracks produce intense electric field, causes band bending. Consequently, tunneling of electrons from filled electron traps to the conduction band takes place, whereby the radiative electron–hole recombination give rise to the luminescence. In the proposed mechanism, expressions are derived for the rise, the time t_m corresponding to the ML intensity versus time curve, the ML intensity I_m corresponding to the peak of ML intensity versus time curve, the total fracto‐mechanoluminescence (FML) intensity I_T, and fast and slow decay of FML intensity of II–VI semiconductors. The FML plays a significant role in understanding the processes involved in biological detection, earthquake lights and mine failure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relaxation of plasma rotation in toroidal magnetic confinement systems

A study is made of the relaxation of plasma rotation in nonaxisymmetric toroidal magnetic confinement systems, such as stellarators and rippled tokamaks. In this way, a solution to the drift kinetic equation is obtained that explicitly takes into account the time dependence of the distribution function, and expressions for the diffusive particle fluxes and longitudinal viscosity are derived that make it possible to write a closed set of equations describing the time evolution of the ambipolar electric field E and the longitudinal (with respect to the magnetic field) plasma velocity U₀. Solutions found to the set of evolutionary equations imply that the relaxation of these two parameters to their steady-state values occurs in the form of damped oscillations whose frequency is about 2v_T/R (where v_T is the ion thermal velocity and R is the major plasma radius) and whose damping rate depends on the ion-ion collision frequency and on the magnetic field parameters. In particular, it is shown that, for tokamaks with a slightly rippled longitudinal magnetic field, the frequency of oscillations in the range q>2 (where q is the safety factor) is, as a rule, much higher than the damping rate. For stellarators, this turns out to be true only of the central plasma region, where the helical ripple amplitude ? of the magnetic field is much smaller than the toroidal ripple amplitude δ=r/R.     

Nonquasineutral model of an equilibrium Z-pinch

A fundamentally new approach is proposed for describing Z-pinches when the pinch current is gov-erned to a large extent by strong charge separation, which gives rise to a radial electric field in the nonquasineutral core of the pinch. In the central pinch region with a characteristic radius of about $r_0 \sim \sqrt {J_0 /en_e c}$ , part of the total pinch current J ₀<J, is carried by the drifting electrons and the remaining current is carried by ions moving at the velocity v _iz ～c(2eZJ/m _i c ³) in the peripheral region with a radial size of c/ω_pi. In the nonquasineutral core of a Z-pinch, the radial ion “temperature” is on the order of ZeJ ₀/c. The time during which the non-quasineutral region exists is limited by Coulomb collisions between the ions oscillating in the radial direction and the electrons. Since the magnetic field is not frozen in the ions, no sausage instability can occur in the non-quasineutral core of the Z-pinch. In the equilibrium state under discussion, the ratio of the radial charge-separation electric field E ₀ to the atomic field E _a may be as large as $E_0 /E_a \sim 137^2 (a_0 \omega _{pe} /c)\sqrt {J/J_{Ae} }$ , where a ₀ is the Bohr radius.     

Laser spectroscopy for measuring the parameters of a plasma containing helium and argon

Laser spectroscopy diagnostics used in experiments on the PNX-U facility are described. The working gas was argon with an additive of helium. The 2³ P → 3³ D transition was excited by means of optical pumping, and helium fluorescence at wavelengths of 388 and 706.5 nm was observed. The Doppler temperature of helium atoms was determined by scanning the profile of the absorption line with the help of a tunable laser. The sum of the signals so obtained provides information on the local density of helium atoms. It was proposed to determine the local value of the electron density N _e (R) from the ratio between the fluorescence intensities at wavelengths of 388 and 706.5 nm. The ratio of these intensities as a function of N _e for He I was calculated in the collisional-radiative model, and relevant measurements of N _e in the PNX-U facility were performed. When diagnosing the argon component, the main attention was paid to measurements of the ion temperature T _i (R, t). In the course these measurements, anomalous heating of Ar II ions was revealed. The concentration of singly charged argon ions was estimated.     

H<Superscript>−</Superscript> ion density in the plasma of a low-voltage cesium-hydrogen discharge as a function of the cathode emission current

It was shown theoretically that the increase in the cathode emission current in a low-voltage cesium-hydrogen discharge to ≈10 A/cm² leads to an increase in the electron temperature in the anode plasma to T _e ≥ 1 eV. In this regime, the rate constant for the production of H^? ions via dissociative electron attachment to vibrationally excited H₂ molecules is close to its maximum value and the density of H^? ions is maximal (about 10¹³ cm^?3) in the anode plasma.     

Charge and energy spectra of fast multicharged ions in a laser plasma

In measuring the charge and energy spectra of the ions of a single-element laser plasma, in addition to thermal ions, fast multicharged ions are recorded that are accelerated by the electric field of laser radiation in the region of the critical plasma density. The charge and energy spectra of Co ions with the charge numbers z=1–3 are measured at laser intensities of q=5×10¹¹–10¹² W/cm². The energy spectra of these ions are broad and are located on the high-energy side (z _max=3, E>5.0 keV) with respect to the thermal ions (z _max=9, E<4.0 keV). The increase in q to 10¹⁴ W/cm² results in an increase in the charge number of both thermal and fast ions.     

Experimental study of a low-pressure glow discharge in air in large-diameter discharge tubes: I. conditions for the normal regime of a glow discharge

The initiation and characteristics of a low-pressure glow discharge in air in large-diameter discharge tubes are studied. A deviation from the Paschen law is observed: the breakdown curves U _dc(pL) shift toward the higher values of U _dc and pL as the interelectrode distance L increases. It is shown that the normal regime of a glow discharge is accompanied by gas ionization in the anode sheath. This takes place only for pL values lying to the right of the inflection point in the breakdown curve. The cathode-sheath characteristics in the normal and abnormal regimes of an air discharge for a duralumin cathode are determined. The axial profiles of the ion density, electron temperature, and plasma potential, as well as the anode voltage drop, are measured at various air pressures.     

Ni[TCNE]2 · zCH2Cl2 (Tc = 13 K) and VxNi1 − x[TCNE]y · zCH2Cl2 solid solution room temperature magnets

Magnetically ordered Ni[TCNE]₂ · zCH₂Cl₂ (T_c = 13 K) is reported for the first time from the reaction of Ni(CO)₄ with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). A family of new solid solution room temperature magnets of V_xNi_1 − x[TCNE]_y · zCH₂Cl₂ (0 ? x < 1; y ? 2) composition has been characterized by IR spectrometry, elemental analysis, and magnetic measurements (ac and dc susceptibility). Substitution of Ni^II for V^II in V[TCNE]_y · zCH₂Cl₂ does not alter the T_c significantly for x ? 0.05 and does not alter H_cr significantly for x > 0; however, the magnitude of M increases with x, as does the broadness of the peaks in the χ′(T) and χ″(T) ac susceptibilities. Hence, the magnetic properties of the room temperature V[TCNE]_y · zCH₂Cl₂ magnet can be finely tuned via synthetic chemistry methodology, making this material more amenable in future technologies.     

Solubility and phase transitions in the water-protein-salt system

The analytical expressions previously obtained for the lines characterizing various phase transitions (sol-gel, liquid-liquid, liquid-solid) that relate the critical molar composition of the water-protein-salt system to individual features of its components (protein charge z, number v of adsorbed ions, and electrolyte activity function Δ) are represented in conventional coordinates of logarithm of protein solubility logS versus salt concentration m ₃. The tendencies of the changes in the positions of phase transition lines in these coordinates as dependent on the parameters v and z and their ratio are determined. The relationship of the salting-out line and the salting-out coefficient with phase transitions is discussed.     

Calculation of the energy confinement time and power threshold for L-H transitions in a tokamak with allowance for the parameters of the transport barrier

The ASTRA-ETL code is used to simulate L-H transition scenarios and calculate the energy confinement time and the threshold power of the L-H transition as functions of the averaged electron density 〈n〉, the averaged magnetic field B, the neutral density n _n , and the neutral temperature T _n , as well as the values of T _Se , T _Si , and n _S at the separatrix. It is shown that the linear dependence of the threshold power of the L-H transition on the averaged electron density, Q _L-H∝〈n〉, is associated with an increase in the viscosity of a poloidally rotating plasma due to charge exchange and is governed exclusively by an increase in the neutral density n _n . When the averaged electron density 〈n〉 is low, the threshold power rises because T _Si and T _Se increase. The accuracy of predictions for the power threshold of the L-H transition can be improved if the scaling of Q _L-H versus 〈n〉 and B is derived by processing experimental data from discharges with close parameter values at the separatrix. The hysteresis effect during an L-H-L transition triggered by varying the input power is modeled. The global energy confinement time τ_E is shown to increase linearly with 〈n〉 in the range 〈n〉<3.6×10¹⁹ m^?3 and to saturate at higher electron densities; this behavior is found to be characteristic of the Ohmic, L-, and H-modes. The saturation is associated with the fact that losses via the ion channel (when the transport coefficients are density-independent) dominate over losses via the electron channel. The dependence of τ _E on the input power is determined from the calculated database and is found to be τ _E =0.12Q _L-H ^?0.46 at a fixed averaged electron density 〈n〉. In the simulations of the L-H transition, the energy confinement time τ _E increases by a factor of 2 only if the thermal diffusivity inside the transport barrier is lower than that in the central plasma by a factor of more than 6.     

On fast solid-body rotation of the solar core and differential (liquid-like) rotation of the solar surface

On the basis of a two-component (two-fluid) hydrodynamic model, it is shown that the probable phenomenon of solar core rotation with a velocity higher than the average velocity of global rotation of the Sun, discovered by the SOHO mission, can be related to fast solid-body rotation of the light hydrogen component of the solar plasma, which is caused by thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium inside the hot dense solar core. Thermonuclear fusion of four protons into a helium nucleus (α-particle) creates a large free specific volume per unit particle due to the large difference between the densities of the solar plasma and nuclear matter. As a result, an efficient volumetric sink of one of the components of the solar substance—hydrogen—forms inside the solar core. Therefore, a steady-state radial proton flux converging to the center should exist inside the Sun, which maintains a constant concentration of hydrogen as it burns out in the solar core. It is demonstrated that such a converging flux of hydrogen plasma with the radial velocity v _r (r) = ?βr creates a convective, v _r ?v _φ/?r, and a local Coriolis, v _r v _φ/r,φ nonlinear hydrodynamic forces in the solar plasma, rotating with the azimuthal velocity v _φ. In the absence of dissipation, these forces should cause an exponential growth of the solid-body rotation velocity of the hydrogen component inside the solar core. However, friction between the hydrogen and helium components of the solar plasma due to Coulomb collisions of protons with α-particles results in a steady-state regime of rotation of the hydrogen component in the solar core with an angular velocity substantially exceeding the global rotational velocity of the Sun. It is suggested that the observed differential (liquid-like) rotation of the visible surface of the Sun (photosphere) with the maximum angular velocity at the equator is caused by sold-body rotation of the solar plasma in the radiation zone and strong turbulence in the tachocline layer, where the turbulent viscosity reaches its maximum value at the equator. There, the tachocline layer exerts the most efficient drag on the less dense outer layers of the solar plasma, which are slowed down due to the interaction with the ambient space plasma (solar wind).     

Electron and nuclear dynamics in many-electron atoms, molecules and chlorophyll-protein complexes: A review

It has been shown [V.A. Shuvalov, Quantum dynamics of electrons in many-electron atoms of biologically important compounds, Biochemistry (Mosc.) 68 (2003) 1333-1354; V.A. Shuvalov, Quantum dynamics of electrons in atoms of biologically important molecules, Uspekhi biologicheskoi khimii, (Pushchino) 44 (2004) 79-108] that the orbit angular momentum L of each electron in many-electron atoms is L = mVr = n? and similar to L for one-electron atom suggested by N. Bohr. It has been found that for an atom with N electrons the total electron energy equation E = −(Z^eff)²e⁴m/(2n²?²N) is more appropriate for energy calculation than standard quantum mechanical expressions. It means that the value of L of each electron is independent of the presence of other electrons in an atom and correlates well to the properties of virtual photons emitted by the nucleus and creating a trap for electrons. The energies for elements of the 1st up to the 5th rows and their ions (total amount 240) of Mendeleev' Periodical table were calculated consistent with the experimental data (deviations in average were 5 × 10^− 3). The obtained equations can be used for electron dynamics calculations in molecules. For H₂ and H₂⁺ the interference of electron-photon orbits between the atoms determines the distances between the nuclei which are in agreement with the experimental values. The formation of resonance electron-photon orbit in molecules with the conjugated bonds, including chlorophyll-like molecules, appears to form a resonance trap for an electron with E values close to experimental data. Two mechanisms were suggested for non-barrier primary charge separation in reaction centers (RCs) of photosynthetic bacteria and green plants by using the idea of electron-photon orbit interference between the two molecules. Both mechanisms are connected to formation of the exciplexes of chlorophyll-like molecules. The first one includes some nuclear motion before exciplex formation, the second one is related to the optical transition to a charge transfer state.     

Investigation of the electron energy distribution function in hollow-cathode glow discharges in nitrogen and oxygen

The mechanism for the formation of the inverse electron distribution function is proposed and realized experimentally in a nitrogen plasma of a hollow-cathode glow discharge. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that, for a broad range of the parameters of an N₂ discharge, it is possible to form a significant dip in the profile of the electron distribution function in the energy range ε=2–4 eV and, accordingly, to produce the inverse distribution with df(ε)/d?>0. The formation of a dip is associated with both the vibrational excitation of N₂ molecules and the characteristic features of a hollow-cathode glow discharge. In such a discharge, the applied voltage drops preferentially across a narrow cathode sheath. In the main discharge region, the electric field E is weak (E<0.1 V/cm at a pressure of about p～0.1 torr) and does not heat the discharge plasma. The gas is ionized and the ionization-produced electrons are heated by a beam of fast electrons (with an energy of about 400 eV) emitted from the cathode. A high-energy electron beam plays an important role in the formation of a dip in the profile of the electron distribution function in the energy range in which the cross section for the vibrational excitation of nitrogen molecules is maximum. A plasma with an inverted electron distribution function can be used to create a population inversion in which more impurity molecules and atoms will exist in electronically excited states.     

Challenge from the simple: some caveats in linearization of the Boyle-van't Hoff and Arrhenius plots

Some aspects of proper linearization of the Boyle-van’t Hoff (BVH) relationship for calculation of the osmotically inactive volume v_b, and Arrhenius plot (AP) for the activation energy E_a are discussed. It is shown that the commonly used determination of the slope and the intercept (v_b), which are presumed to be independent from each other, is invalid if the initial intracellular molality m₀ is known. Instead, the linear regression with only one independent parameter (v_b) or the Least Square Method (LSM) with v_b as the only fitting LSM parameter must be applied. The slope can then be calculated from the BVH relationship as the function of v_b. In case of unknown m₀ (for example, if cells are preloaded with trehalose, or electroporation caused ion leakage, etc.), it is considered as the second independent statistical parameter to be found. In this (and only) scenario, all three methods give the same results for v_b and m₀. AP can be linearized only for water hydraulic conductivity (L_p) and solute mobility (ω_s) while water and solute permeabilities P_w ≡ L_pRT and P_s ≡ ω_sRT cannot be linearized because they have pre-exponential factor (RT) that depends on the temperature T.     

How could the Gompertz-Makeham law evolve

In line with the origin of life from the chemical world, biological mortality kinetics is suggested to originate from chemical decomposition kinetics described by the Arrhenius equation k=A*exp(−E/RT). Another chemical legacy of living bodies is that, by using the appropriate properties of their constituent molecules, they incorporate all their potencies, including adverse ones. In early evolution, acquiring an ability to use new molecules to increase disintegration barrier E might be associated with new adverse interactions, yielding products that might accumulate in organisms and compromise their viability. Thus, the main variable of the Arrhenius equation changed from T in chemistry to E in biology; mortality turned to rise exponentially as E declined with increasing age; and survivorship patterns turned to feature slow initial and fast late descent making the bulk of each finite cohort to expire within a short final period of its lifespan. Numerical modelling shows that such acquisition of new functions associated with faster functional decline may increase the efficiency of investing resources into progeny, in line with the antagonistic pleiotropy theory of ageing. Any evolved time trajectories of functional changes were translated into changes in mortality through exponent according to the generalised Gompertz-Makeham law μ=C(t)+Λ*exp[−E(t)], which is reduced to the conventional form when E(t)=E₀−γt and C is constant. The proposed model explains the origin of the linear mid-age functional decline followed by its deceleration at later ages and the positive correlation between the initial vitality and the rate of ageing.