Molecular dynamics simulations of the interactions of potential foulant molecules and a reverse osmosis membrane

Reverse osmosis (RO) is increasingly one of the most common technologies for desalination worldwide. However, fouling of the membranes used in the RO process remains one of the main challenges. In order to better understand the molecular basis of fouling the interactions of a fully atomistic model of a polyamide membrane with three different foulant molecules, oxygen gas, glucose and phenol, are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. In addition to unbiased simulations, umbrella sampling methods have been used to calculate the free energy profiles of the membrane-foulant interactions. The results show that each of the three foulants interacts with the membrane in a different manner.It is found that a build up of the two organic foulants, glucose and phenol, occurs at the membrane-saline solution, due to the favourable nature of the interaction in this region, and that the presence of these foulants reduces the rate of flow of water molecules over the membrane-solution interface. However, analysis of the hydrogen bonding shows that the origin of attraction of the foulant for the membrane differs. In the case of oxygen gas the simulations show that a build up of gas within the membrane is likely, although, no deterioration in the membrane performance was observed

The energy dependence of p_t angular correlations inferred from mean-p_t fluctuation scale dependence in heavy ion collisions at the SPS and RHIC

We present the first study of the energy dependence of pt angular correlations inferred from event-wisemean transverse momentum (pt) fluctuations in heavy ion collisions. We compare our large-acceptancemeasurements at CM energies √^sNN = 19.6, 62.4, 130 and 200 GeV to SPS measurements at 12.3 and 17.3 GeV. p_t angular correlation structure suggests that the principal source of p_t correlations and fluctuations is minijets (minimum-bias parton fragments). We observe a dramatic increase in correlations and fluctuations from SPS to RHIC energies, increasing linearly with ln √^sNN from the onset of observable jet-related (p_t) fluctuations near 10 GeV

Two-particle correlations on transverse momentum and momentum dissipation in Au–Au collisions at √sNN = 130 GeV

Measurements of two-particle correlations on transverse momentum p_t for Au–Au collisions at √^sNN = 130 GeV are presented. Significant largemomentum-scale correlations are observed for charged primary hadrons with 0.15 ≤ p_t ≤ 2 GeV/c and pseudorapidity |η| ≤ 1.3. Such correlations were not observed in a similar study at lower energy and are not predicted by theoretical collision models. Their direct relation to mean-p_t fluctuations measured in the same angular acceptance is demonstrated. Positive correlations are observed for pairs of particles which have large pt values while negative correlations occur for pairs in which one particle has large p_t and the other has much lower p_t . The correlation amplitudes per final state particle increase with collision centrality. The observed correlations are consistent with a scenario in which the transverse momentum of hadrons associated with initial-stage semi-hard parton scattering is dissipated by the medium to lower p_t

Exact mean first-passage time on the T-graph

We consider a simple random walk on the T-fractal and we calculate the exact mean time $\tau^g$ to first reach the central node $i_0$. The mean is performed over the set of possible walks from a given origin and over the set of starting points uniformly distributed throughout the sites of the graph, except $i_0$. By means of analytic techniques based on decimation procedures, we find the explicit expression for $\tau^g$ as a function of the generation $g$ and of the volume $V$ of the underlying fractal. Our results agree with the asymptotic ones already known for diffusion on the T-fractal and, more generally, they are consistent with the standard laws describing diffusion on low-dimensional structures.Comment: 6 page

Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in a Weakly Ionized Medium

Ambient interstellar material may become entrained in outflows from massive stars as a result of shear flow instabilities. We study the linear theory of the Kelvin - Helmholtz instability, the simplest example of shear flow instability, in a partially ionized medium. We model the interaction as a two fluid system (charged and neutral) in a planar geometry. Our principal result is that for much of the relevant parameter space, neutrals and ions are sufficiently decoupled that the neutrals are unstable while the ions are held in place by the magnetic field. Thus, we predict that there should be a detectably narrower line profile in ionized species tracing the outflow compared with neutral species since ionized species are not participating in the turbulent interface with the ambient ISM. Since the magnetic field is frozen to the plasma, it is not tangled by the turbulence in the boundary layer.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Plane-wave impulse approximation extraction of the neutron magnetic form factor from quasielastic ^3He(e,e') at Q^2=0.3 to 0.6 (GeV/c)^2

A high precision measurement of the transverse spin-dependent asymmetry A_T' in ^3He(e,e') quasielastic scattering was performed in Hall A at Jefferson Lab at values of the squared four-momentum transfer, Q^2, between 0.1 and 0.6 (GeV/c)^2. A_(T') is sensitive to the neutron magnetic form factor, G_M^n . Values of G_M^n at Q^2 = 0.1 and 0.2 (GeV/c)^2, extracted using Faddeev calculations, were reported previously. Here, we report the extraction of G_M^n for the remaining Q^2 values in the range from 0.3 to 0.6 (GeV/c)^2 using a plane-wave impulse approximation calculation. The results are in good agreement with recent precision data from experiments using a deuterium target

The alpha-effect in rotating convection: a comparison of numerical simulations

Numerical simulations are an important tool in furthering our understanding of turbulent dynamo action, a process that occurs in a vast range of astrophysical bodies. It is important in all computational work that comparisons are made between different codes and, if non-trivial differences arise, that these are explained. Kapyla et al (2010: MNRAS 402, 1458) describe an attempt to reproduce the results of Hughes & Proctor (2009: PRL 102, 044501) and, by employing a different methodology, they arrive at very different conclusions concerning the mean electromotive force and the generation of large-scale fields. Here we describe why the simulations of Kapyla et al (2010) are simply not suitable for a meaningful comparison, since they solve different equations, at different parameter values and with different boundary conditions. Furthermore we describe why the interpretation of Kapyla et al (2010) of the calculation of the alpha-effect is inappropriate and argue that the generation of large-scale magnetic fields by turbulent convection remains a problematic issue.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS. 5 pages, 3 figure