95 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Surface charge measurements on different dielectrics in diffuse and filamentary barrier discharges
Previously, we reported on the measurement of surface charges during the operation of barrier discharges (BDs) using the electro-optic Pockels effect of a bismuth silicon oxide (BSO) crystal. With the present work, the next milestone is achieved by making this powerful method accessible to various dielectrics which are typically used in BD configurations. The dynamics and spatial distribution of positive and negative surface charges were determined on optically transparent borosilicate glass, mono-crystalline alumina and magnesia, respectively, covering the BSO crystal. By variation of the nitrogen admixture to helium and the pressure between 500 mbar and 1 bar, both the diffuse glow-like BD and the self-stabilized discharge filaments were operated inside of a gas gap of 3 mm. The characteristics of the discharge and, especially, the influence of the different dielectrics on its development were studied by surface charge diagnostics, electrical measurements and ICCD camera imaging. Regarding the glow-like BD, the breakdown voltage changes significantly by variation of the cathodic dielectric, due to the different effective secondary electron emission (SEE) coefficients. These material-specific SEE yields were estimated using Townsend's criterion in combination with analytical calculations of the effective ionization coefficient in helium with air impurities. Moreover, the importance of the surface charge memory effect for the self-stabilization of discharge filaments was quantified by the recalculated spatio-temporal behavior of the gap voltage
Recommended from our members
Self-stabilized discharge filament in plane-parallel barrier discharge configuration: formation, breakdown mechanism, and memory effects
Single self-stabilized discharge filaments were investigated in the plane-parallel electrode configuration. The barrier discharge was operated inside a gap of 3âmm shielded by glass plates to both electrodes, using helium-nitrogen mixtures and a square-wave feeding voltage at a frequency of 2âkHz. The combined application of electrical measurements, ICCD camera imaging, optical emission spectroscopy and surface charge diagnostics via the electro-optic Pockels effect allowed the correlation of the discharge development in the volume and on the dielectric surfaces. The formation criteria and existence regimes were found by systematic variation of the nitrogen admixture to helium, the total pressure and the feeding voltage amplitude. Single self-stabilized discharge filaments can be operated over a wide parameter range, foremost, by significant reduction of the voltage amplitude after the operation in the microdischarge regime. Here, the outstanding importance of the surface charge memory effect on the long-term stability was pointed out by the recalculated spatio-temporally resolved gap voltage. The optical emission revealed discharge characteristics that are partially reminiscent of both the glow-like barrier discharge and the microdischarge regime, such as a Townsend pre-phase, a fast cathode-directed ionization front during the breakdown and radially propagating surface discharges during the afterglow
Ionization by bulk heating of electrons in capacitive radio frequency atmospheric pressure microplasmas
Electron heating and ionization dynamics in capacitively coupled radio
frequency (RF) atmospheric pressure microplasmas operated in helium are
investigated by Particle in Cell simulations and semi-analytical modeling. A
strong heating of electrons and ionization in the plasma bulk due to high bulk
electric fields are observed at distinct times within the RF period. Based on
the model the electric field is identified to be a drift field caused by a low
electrical conductivity due to the high electron-neutral collision frequency at
atmospheric pressure. Thus, the ionization is mainly caused by ohmic heating in
this "Omega-mode". The phase of strongest bulk electric field and ionization is
affected by the driving voltage amplitude. At high amplitudes, the plasma
density is high, so that the sheath impedance is comparable to the bulk
resistance. Thus, voltage and current are about 45{\deg} out of phase and
maximum ionization is observed during sheath expansion with local maxima at the
sheath edges. At low driving voltages, the plasma density is low and the
discharge becomes more resistive resulting in a smaller phase shift of about
4{\deg}. Thus, maximum ionization occurs later within the RF period with a
maximum in the discharge center. Significant analogies to electronegative low
pressure macroscopic discharges operated in the Drift-Ambipolar mode are found,
where similar mechanisms induced by a high electronegativity instead of a high
collision frequency have been identified
Evaluation of osseointegration of titanium alloyed implants modified by plasma polymerization
By means of plasma polymerization, positively charged, nanometre-thin coatings can be applied to implant surfaces. The aim of the present study was to quantify the adhesion of human bone cells in vitro and to evaluate the bone ongrowth in vivo, on titanium surfaces modified by plasma polymer coatings. Different implant surface configurations were examined: titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) coated with plasma-polymerized allylamine (PPAAm) and plasma-polymerized ethylenediamine (PPEDA) versus uncoated. Shear stress on human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells was investigated in vitro using a spinning disc device. Furthermore, bone-to-implant contact (BIC) was evaluated in vivo. Custom-made conical titanium implants were inserted at the medial tibia of female Sprague-Dawley rats. After a follow-up of six weeks, the BIC was determined by means of histomorphometry. The quantification of cell adhesion showed a significantly higher shear stress for MG-63 cells on PPAAm and PPEDA compared to uncoated Ti6Al4V. Uncoated titanium alloyed implants showed the lowest BIC (40.4%). Implants with PPAAm coating revealed a clear but not significant increase of the BIC (58.5%) and implants with PPEDA a significantly increased BIC (63.7%). In conclusion, plasma polymer coatings demonstrate enhanced cell adhesion and bone ongrowth compared to uncoated titanium surfaces
Gaia Focused Product Release: A catalogue of sources around quasars to search for strongly lensed quasars
Context. Strongly lensed quasars are fundamental sources for cosmology. The
Gaia space mission covers the entire sky with the unprecedented resolution of
" in the optical, making it an ideal instrument to search for
gravitational lenses down to the limiting magnitude of 21. Nevertheless, the
previous Gaia Data Releases are known to be incomplete for small angular
separations such as those expected for most lenses. Aims. We present the Data
Processing and Analysis Consortium GravLens pipeline, which was built to
analyse all Gaia detections around quasars and to cluster them into sources,
thus producing a catalogue of secondary sources around each quasar. We analysed
the resulting catalogue to produce scores that indicate source configurations
that are compatible with strongly lensed quasars. Methods. GravLens uses the
DBSCAN unsupervised clustering algorithm to detect sources around quasars. The
resulting catalogue of multiplets is then analysed with several methods to
identify potential gravitational lenses. We developed and applied an outlier
scoring method, a comparison between the average BP and RP spectra of the
components, and we also used an extremely randomised tree algorithm. These
methods produce scores to identify the most probable configurations and to
establish a list of lens candidates. Results. We analysed the environment of 3
760 032 quasars. A total of 4 760 920 sources, including the quasars, were
found within 6" of the quasar positions. This list is given in the Gaia
archive. In 87\% of cases, the quasar remains a single source, and in 501 385
cases neighbouring sources were detected. We propose a list of 381 lensed
candidates, of which we identified 49 as the most promising. Beyond these
candidates, the associate tables in this Focused Product Release allow the
entire community to explore the unique Gaia data for strong lensing studies
further.Comment: 35 pages, 60 figures, accepted for publication by Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Gaia Focused Product Release: Radial velocity time series of long-period variables
The third Gaia Data Release (DR3) provided photometric time series of more
than 2 million long-period variable (LPV) candidates. Anticipating the
publication of full radial-velocity (RV) in DR4, this Focused Product Release
(FPR) provides RV time series for a selection of LPVs with high-quality
observations. We describe the production and content of the Gaia catalog of LPV
RV time series, and the methods used to compute variability parameters
published in the Gaia FPR. Starting from the DR3 LPVs catalog, we applied
filters to construct a sample of sources with high-quality RV measurements. We
modeled their RV and photometric time series to derive their periods and
amplitudes, and further refined the sample by requiring compatibility between
the RV period and at least one of the , , or
photometric periods. The catalog includes RV time series and variability
parameters for 9\,614 sources in the magnitude range , including a flagged top-quality subsample of 6\,093 stars
whose RV periods are fully compatible with the values derived from the ,
, and photometric time series. The RV time series
contain a mean of 24 measurements per source taken unevenly over a duration of
about three years. We identify the great most sources (88%) as genuine LPVs,
with about half of them showing a pulsation period and the other half
displaying a long secondary period. The remaining 12% consists of candidate
ellipsoidal binaries. Quality checks against RVs available in the literature
show excellent agreement. We provide illustrative examples and cautionary
remarks. The publication of RV time series for almost 10\,000 LPVs constitutes,
by far, the largest such database available to date in the literature. The
availability of simultaneous photometric measurements gives a unique added
value to the Gaia catalog (abridged)Comment: 36 pages, 38 figure
Gaia focused product release: radial velocity time series of long-period variables
Stars and planetary system
- âŠ