Tungsten and barium transport in the internal plasma of hollow cathodes

The effect of tungsten erosion, transport, and redeposition on the operation of dispenser hollow cathodes was investigated in detailed examinations of the discharge cathode inserts from 8200 h and 30 352 h ion engine wear tests. Erosion and subsequent redeposition of tungsten in the electron emission zone at the downstream end of the insert reduce the porosity of the tungsten matrix, preventing the flow of barium from the interior. This inhibits the interfacial reactions of the barium-calcium-aluminate impregnant with the tungsten in the pores. A numerical model of barium transport in the internal xenon discharge plasma shows that the barium required to reduce the work function in the emission zone can be supplied from upstream through the gas phase. Barium that flows out of the pores of the tungsten insert is rapidly ionized in the xenon discharge and pushed back to the emitter surface by the electric field and drag from the xenon ion flow. This barium ion flux is sufficient to maintain a barium surface coverage at the downstream end greater than 0.6, even if local barium production at that point is inhibited by tungsten deposits. The model also shows that the neutral barium pressure exceeds the equilibrium vapor pressure of the impregnant decomposition reaction over much of the insert length, so the reactions are suppressed. Only a small region upstream of the zone blocked by tungsten deposits is active and supplies the required barium. These results indicate that hollow cathode failure models based on barium depletion rates in vacuum dispenser cathodes are very conservative

Implicazioni di web design per Malesia e Paesi Scandinavi attraverso uno studio interculturale

Persone di culture differenti preferiscono pagine web caratterizzate dai valori della loro cultura e tendono quindi a preferire differenti caratteristiche del sito web a seconda delle loro esigenze in termini di navigazione, sicurezza, informazioni sui prodotti, servizio al cliente, strumenti di shopping e design. Per un’impresa che intende globalizzare il proprio mercato è utile implementare interfacce culturali country specific, ovvero utilizzare pagine web diverse per paesi con culture differenti. Il presente studio si fonda sulle conclusioni proposte da due modelli di analisi culturale, Hall (1976) e Hofstede (1980) e attraverso l’applicazione degli studi di Marcus e Gould (2000) e l’analisi di un campione di siti web commerciali, arriva a definire le linee guida di web design per i Paesi Scandinavi e Malesi

Understanding how the strategic similarities between energy companies influence the post-mergers and acquisitions performances

The energy sector has experienced rapid evolution in recent years, following the liberalization of the electricity and natural gas markets, driven by the European Union. These developments have led to a certain level of dynamism in Italy, particularly as concerns mergers and acquisitions (M&As) within the sector. This article examines the influence of strategic similarities between the target and bidder companies on their post-M&A performances. The model used involves a hierarchical regression relating the indexes of similarity between the merging companies, regarding their economic-financial management. The results reveal the influence of the strategic similarities and differences on the post-M&A performances of the companies, showing how the positive or negative effect depends on certain characteristics, such as their structure of share capital, business segments and size. The study evidences the strategic variables that should be considered in choosing the optimal target companies

On the welding of different materials by diode laser

In technical literature, there are few papers about the use of diode lasers in material processing and particularly in metal welding. In this paper, different materials, according to specific and particular industrial needs and requests, have been tested with a welding process by a diode laser, emitting a 808 nm laser radiation. Beads on plate have been studied. The goal was to evaluate the maximum weldable thickness and define the best process parameters for each material. The experimental evaluation has been carried out considering the following parameters: power level, welding speed (WS), shielding gas, gas nozzle and orientation of the focused elliptical spot as to the welding direction

Barium depletion in hollow cathode emitters

Dispenser hollow cathodes rely on a consumable supply of Ba released by BaO-CaO-Al_2O_3 source material in the pores of a tungsten matrix to maintain a low work function surface. The examination of cathode emitters from long duration tests shows deposits of tungsten at the downstream end that appear to block the flow of Ba from the interior. In addition, a numerical model of Ba transport in the cathode plasma indicates that the Ba partial pressure in the insert may exceed the equilibrium vapor pressure of the dominant Ba-producing reaction, and it was postulated previously that this would suppress Ba loss in the upstream part of the emitter. New measurements of the Ba depletion depth from a cathode insert operated for 8200 h reveal that Ba loss is confined to a narrow region near the downstream end, confirming this hypothesis. The Ba transport model was modified to predict the depletion depth with time. A comparison of the calculated and measured depletion depths gives excellent qualitative agreement, and quantitative agreement was obtained assuming an insert temperature 70 °C lower than measured beginning-of-life values

Freehand-Steering Locomotion Techniques for Immersive Virtual Environments: A Comparative Evaluation

Virtual reality has achieved significant popularity in recent years, and allowing users to move freely within an immersive virtual world has become an important factor critical to realize. The user’s interactions are generally designed to increase the perceived realism, but the locomotion techniques and how these affect the user’s task performance still represent an open issue, much discussed in the literature. In this article, we evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of, and user preferences relating to, freehand locomotion techniques designed for an immersive virtual environment performed through hand gestures tracked by a sensor placed in the egocentric position and experienced through a head-mounted display. Three freehand locomotion techniques have been implemented and compared with each other, and with a baseline technique based on a controller, through qualitative and quantitative measures. An extensive user study conducted with 60 subjects shows that the proposed methods have a performance comparable to the use of the controller, further revealing the users’ preference for decoupling the locomotion in sub-tasks, even if this means renouncing precision and adapting the interaction to the possibilities of the tracker sensor

Laser cutting of different polymeric plastics (PE, PP and PC) by a CO2 laser beam

Thiswork investigates the application of theCO2 laser cutting process to three thermoplastic polymers, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) in different thicknesses ranging from 2 to 10 mm. The process parameters examined were: laser power, range of cutting speed, type of focusing lens, pressure and flow of the covering gas, thickness of the samples. Furthermore, the values of kerf widths on top (Lsup) and bottom (Linf ) thicknesses, the melted transverse area, the melted volume per unit time and surface roughness values (Ra) on cut edges were also measured

The effect of cathode geometry on barium transport in hollow cathode plasmas

The effect of barium transport on the operation of dispenser hollow cathodes was investigated in numerical modeling of a cathode with two different orifice sizes. Despite large differences in cathode emitter temperature, emitted electron current density, internal xenon neutral and plasma densities, and size of the plasma-surface interaction region, the barium transport in the two geometries is qualitatively very similar. Barium is produced in the insert and flows to the surface through the porous structure. A buildup of neutral Ba pressure in the plasma over the emitter surface can suppress the reactions supplying the Ba, restricting the net production rate. Neutral Ba flows into the dense Xe plasma and has a high probability of being ionized at the periphery of this zone. The steady state neutral Ba density distribution is determined by a balance between pressure gradient forces and the drag force associated with collisions between neutral Ba and neutral Xe atoms. A small fraction of the neutral Ba is lost upstream. The majority of the neutral Ba is ionized in the high temperature Xe plasma and is pushed back to the emitter surface by the electric field. The steady state Ba^+ ion density distribution results from a balance between electrostatic and pressure forces, neutral Xe drag and Xe^+ ion drag with the dominant forces dependent on location in the discharge. These results indicate that hollow cathodes are very effective at recycling Ba within the discharge and therefore maintain a high coverage of Ba on the emitter surface, which reduces the work function and sustains high electron emission current densities at moderate temperatures. Barium recycling is more effective in the cathode with the smaller orifice because the Ba is ionized in the dense Xe plasma concentrated just upstream of the orifice and pushed back into the hollow cathode. Despite a lower emitter temperature, the large orifice cathode has a higher Ba loss rate through the orifice because the Xe plasma density peaks further upstream

Rewired lipid metabolism as an actionable vulnerability of aggressive colorectal carcinoma

Cancer cells reprogram lipid metabolism to fuel cell division, adaptation to stress, and metastatic dissemination. NF-κB transcription factors control this mechanism in aggressive Consensus Molecular Subtype (CMS)4 of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) via triacylglycerol (TAG) lipase, carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), thereby linking obesity-associated inflammation with metabolic adaptation and cytoprotection from lipid-induced toxicity. Our findings identify a potential therapeutic route to treat patients with metastasis-prone CRC and provide an example for targeting core tumor subtype-based vulnerabilities in cancers beyond CR

Oxygen transport in the internal xenon plasma of a dispenser hollow cathode

Reactive gases such as oxygen and water vapor modify the surface morphology of BaO dispenser cathodes and degrade the electron emission properties. For vacuum cathodes operating at fixed temperature, the emission current drops rapidly when oxygen adsorbs on top of the low work function surface. Previous experiments have shown that plasma cathodes are more resistant to oxygen poisoning and can operate with O_2 partial pressures one to two orders of magnitude higher than vacuum cathodes before the onset of poisoning occurs. Plasma cathodes used for electric thrusters are typically operated with xenon; however, gas phase barium, oxygen, and tungsten species may be found in small concentrations. The densities of these minor species are small compared with the plasma density, and thus, their presence in the discharge does not significantly alter the xenon plasma parameters. It is important, however, to consider the transport of these minor species as they may deposit on the emitter surface and affect the electron emission properties. In this work, we present the results of a material transport model used to predict oxygen fluxes to the cathode surface by solving the species conservation equations in a cathode with a 2.25 mm diameter orifice operated at a discharge current of 15 A, a Xe flow rate of 3.7 sccm, and 100 ppm of O_2. The dominant ionization process for O_2 is resonant charge exchange with xenon ions. Ba is effectively recycled in the plasma; however, BaO and O_2 are not. The model shows that the oxygen flux to the surface is not diffusion-limited; therefore, the high resistance to oxygen poisoning observed in plasma cathodes likely results from surface processes not considered here