Summary of the Very Large Hadron Collider Physics and Detector Subgroup

We summarize the activity of the Very Large Hadron Collider Physics and Detector subgroup during Snowmass 96.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 1996 DPF/DPB Summer Study on New Directions for High-Energy Physics, Snowmass 9

Aluminum foil interconnects for solar cell panels

Commercially available sonic welding system and a specially-designed tip bonds aluminum foil interconnects to titanium-silver solar cell contacts

Spirillum swimming: theory and observations of propulsion by the flagellar bundle

The hydrodynamics and energetics of helical swimming by the bacterium Spirillum sp. is analysed using observations from medium speed cine photomicrography and theory. The photographic records show that the swimming organism's flagellar bundles beat in a helical fashion just as other bacterial flagella do. The data are analysed according to the rotational resistive theory of Chwang & Wu (1971) in a simple-to-use parametric form with the viscous coefficients C_s and C_n calculated according to the method of Lighthill (1975). Results of the analysis show that Spirillum dissipated biochemical energy in performing work against fluid resistance to motion at an average rate of about 6 X 10^(−8) dyne cm s^(-1) with some 62–72% of the power dissipation due to the non-contractile body. These relationships yield a relatively low hydromechanical efficiency which is reflected in swimming speeds much smaller than a representative eukaryote. In addition the C_n/C_s ratio for the body is shown to lie in the range 0–86-1-51 and that for the flagellar bundle in the range 1–46-1-63. The implications of the power calculations for the Berg & Anderson (1973) rotating shaft model are discussed and it is shown that a rotational resistive theory analysis predicts a 5-cross bridge M ring for each flagellum of Spirillum

The Steady-State Transport of Oxygen through Hemoglobin Solutions

The steady-state transport of oxygen through hemoglobin solutions was studied to identify the mechanism of the diffusion augmentation observed at low oxygen tensions. A novel technique employing a platinum-silver oxygen electrode was developed to measure the effective diffusion coefficient of oxygen in steady-state transport. The measurements were made over a wider range of hemoglobin and oxygen concentrations than previously reported. Values of the Brownian motion diffusion coefficient of oxygen in hemoglobin solution were obtained as well as measurements of facilitated transport at low oxygen tensions. Transport rates up to ten times greater than ordinary diffusion rates were found. Predictions of oxygen flux were made assuming that the oxyhemoglobin transport coefficient was equal to the Brownian motion diffusivity which was measured in a separate set of experiments. The close correlation between prediction and experiment indicates that the diffusion of oxyhemoglobin is the mechanism by which steady-state oxygen transport is facilitated

Forward-Invariance and Wong-Zakai Approximation for Stochastic Moving Boundary Problems

We discuss a class of stochastic second-order PDEs in one space-dimension with an inner boundary moving according to a possibly non-linear, Stefan-type condition. We show that proper separation of phases is attained, i.e., the solution remains negative on one side and positive on the other side of the moving interface, when started with the appropriate initial conditions. To extend results from deterministic settings to the stochastic case, we establish a Wong-Zakai type approximation. After a coordinate transformation the problems are reformulated and analysed in terms of stochastic evolution equations on domains of fractional powers of linear operators.Comment: 46 page

Diffusivity Measurements of Human Methemoglobin

Experimental measurements of the diffusion coefficient of human methemoglobin were made at 25°C with a modified Stokes diaphragm diffusion cell. A Millipore filter was used in place of the ordinary fritted disc to facilitate rapid achievement of steady state in the diaphragm. Methemoglobin concentrations varied from approximately 5 g/100 ml to 30 g/100 ml. The diffusion coefficient in this range decreased from 7.5 x 10^(-7) cm^2/sec to 1.6 x 10^(-7) cm^2/sec