Design and Characterization of a Hypervelocity Expansion Tube Facility

We report on the design and characterization of a 152 mm diameter expansion tube capable of accessing a range of high enthalpy test conditions with Mach numbers up to 7.1 for aerodynamic studies. Expansion tubes have the potential to offer a wide range of test flow conditions as gas acceleration is achieved through interaction with an unsteady expansion wave rather than expansion through a fixed area ratio nozzle. However, the range of test flow conditions is in practice limited by a number of considerations such as short test time and large amplitude flow disturbances. We present a generalized design strategy for small-scale expansion tubes. As a starting point, ideal gas dynamic calculations for optimal facility design to maximize test time at a given Mach number test condition are presented, together with a correction for the expansion head reflection through a non-simple region. A compilation of practical limitations that have been identified for expansion tube facilities such as diaphragm rupture and flow disturbance minimization is then used to map out a functional design parameter space. Experimentally, a range of test conditions have been verified through pitot pressure measurements and analysis of schlieren images of flow over simple geometries. To date there has been good agreement between theoretical and experimental results

Membrane estrogen receptor-α levels predict estrogen-induced ERK1/2 activation in MCF-7 cells

INTRODUCTION: We examined the participation of a membrane form of estrogen receptor (mER)-α in the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK]1 and ERK2) related to cell growth responses in MCF-7 cells. METHODS: We immunopanned and subsequently separated MCF-7 cells (using fluorescence-activated cell sorting) into mER-α-enriched (mER(high)) and mER-α-depleted (mER(low)) populations. We then measured the expression levels of mER-α on the surface of these separated cell populations by immunocytochemical analysis and by a quantitative 96-well plate immunoassay that distinguished between mER-α and intracellular ER-α. Western analysis was used to determine colocalized estrogen receptor (ER)-α and caveolins in membrane subfractions. The levels of activated ERK1 and ERK2 were determined using a fixed cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed in our laboratory. RESULTS: Immunocytochemical studies revealed punctate ER-α antibody staining of the surface of nonpermeabilized mER(high )cells, whereas the majority of mER(low )cells exhibited little or no staining. Western analysis demonstrated that mER(high )cells expressed caveolin-1 and caveolin-2, and that ER-α was contained in the same gradient-separated membrane fractions. The quantitative immunoassay for ER-α detected a significant difference in mER-α levels between mER(high )and mER(low )cells when cells were grown at a sufficiently low cell density, but equivalent levels of total ER-α (membrane plus intracellular receptors). These two separated cell subpopulations also exhibited different kinetics of ERK1/2 activation with 1 pmol/l 17β-estradiol (E(2)), as well as different patterns of E(2 )dose-dependent responsiveness. The maximal kinase activation was achieved after 10 min versus 6 min in mER(high )versus mER(low )cells, respectively. After a decline in the level of phosphorylated ERKs, a reactivation was seen at 60 min in mER(high )cells but not in mER(low )cells. Both 1A and 2B protein phosphatases participated in dephosphorylation of ERKs, as demonstrated by efficient reversal of ERK1/2 inactivation with okadaic acid and cyclosporin A. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the levels of mER-α play a role in the temporal coordination of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events for the ERKs in breast cancer cells, and that these signaling differences can be correlated to previously demonstrated differences in E(2)-induced cell proliferation outcomes in these cell types

Design of Conventional and Detonation-Driven Hypervelocity Expansion Tubes

Freestream disturbances can have a significant impact on studies of boundary layer transition in ground tests, including experiments in high-enthalpy hypersonic facilities such as an expansion tube. Freest ream noise reduction in expansion tubes can be achieved by increasing the driver-to-driven pressure ratio p_4/p_1, so we seek .methods to increase this ratio in Caltech's HET facility. Towards this end, an in-house modular parametric code has been developed using Python to explore possible modifications to the HET. The effect of increasing the pressure in a passive driver on potential noise reduction is investigated. Optimization of acceleration section length is also explored for conventional drivers. The performance of detonation drivers using H_2 and C_2H_2 fuels with He, Ar, and CO_2 diluents is examined

Strengthening and plastic flow of Ni \u3c inf\u3e 3 Al alloy microcrystals

Ni3Al alloys exhibit remarkable deformation characteristics at small scales that are tied to their unique dislocation core structures. The present work examines microcrystal strengthening and flow for a binary Ni 3Al alloy and two alloys containing -0.25% Hf and -1.0% Ta, and evaluates their response relative to known dislocation mechanisms for this material and sample size effects in other materials. The work includes analysis of the flow-stress anomaly mechanisms, dislocation velocity, the single-arm source model, exhaustion strengthening and dislocation multiplication for describing the response of Ni3Al alloy microcrystals. Primary remaining needs are to understand the nature of double cross slip and dislocation sources that trigger the onset of flow and limit size-dependent strengthening. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC