Genetic Algorithm Inversion of Dual Polarization Polar Nephelometer Data to Determine Aerosol Refractive Index

A polar nephelometer that measures the light scattered into a two dimensional plane by a stream of aerosols that intersect a 350 milliwatt diode laser beam with a wavelength of 670 nm is described. A half wave plate is used to orient the laser light both parallel and perpendicular to the measurement plane. This scattering information combined with simultaneously measured size distribution information is used to determine the real (m_r) refractive index of the aerosols using a Genetic Algorithm search method. Errors in the retrieved m_r based on noise in the scattering measurement as well as uncertainties in the size distribution measurement are examined. The m_r of polystyrene latex spheres and ammonium sulfate droplets are determined and match expectations within experimental uncertainties using Mie-Lorenz theory. The angular scattering properties of spherical secondary organic aerosols generated by oxidizing α -pinene do not follow this theory and calls into question the inferred m_r.     

Transient Mass Transfer and Vortex Bifurcation of an Aerosol Droplet in Motion

An investigation of transient mass transfer in an aerosol droplet is performed in this study. The droplet is suddenly exposed to a polluted flow. Particular emphasis is focused on interfacial momentum and mass transport phenomena. When the aerosol droplet is under a specific Reynolds number (viz., Re g = 120), it is discovered that there is a drastic interaction on the flow field between the gas phase and the liquid phase. Specifically, with increasing time the flow structure in the droplet proceeds from a single vortex to a double vortex and finally back to a single vortex. For the double vortex it is constructed by a primary and a secondary vortex. During the appearance of the secondary vortex, it is called a transient vortex bifurcation. Because of the variation of the flow field described above, the entire solute uptake process is divided into three subperiods, consisting of the initial period (or time lag period), the vortex bifurcation period, and the single vortex period. Furthermore, it is found that flow interaction has a dramatic influence on the interfacial mass transfer rate, notably in the vortex bifurcation period. As a whole, the distribution of the average Sherwood number decreases with time, except in the vortex bifurcation period, in which a slightly undulate profile is characterized. A correlation is given to illustrate the influence of the Reynolds number on the absorption process. In addition, when gas-liquid density and viscosity ratios vary, the transient solute uptake behavior can be interpreted by means of the droplet mass transport number.     

Synthesis and decomposition performance of a polymeric foaming agent containing a sulfonyl hydrazide moiety

A new monomer, methacryloyloxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide) (MAOBSH) containing a foamable sulfonyl hydrazide functional group after decomposition by heating, was synthesized from 4,4′‐oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide) (OBSH) with methacryloyl chloride, and used to obtain poly(MAOBSH) as a polymeric foaming agent (PFA) in dry tetrahydrofuran at 70 °C using azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The structures of the synthesized MAOBSH and poly(MAOBSH) were identified using Fourier transform infrared and ¹ H NMR spectroscopies. The decomposition temperature of poly(MAOBSH) was determined to be 245 °C and this temperature was decreased to around 160 °C by adding an activator such as surface‐treated urea to the polymer. The exothermic temperature and heat determined by the decomposition of the polymer were 256 °C and 287 J g^?1. The amount of gas evolution for poly(MAOBSH) measured at the decomposition temperature was 74 mL g^?1. Furthermore, polymers incorporating the PFA showed better skin and finer cell structure as well as better mechanical properties such as elongation and compression set than polymers with added OBSH due to the better compatibility of the developed PFA with polymers. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Coupled nanowire-based hybrid plasmonic nanocavities on thin substrates

We theoretically analyze nanowire-based hybrid plasmonic nanocavities on thin substrates at visible wavelengths. In the presence of thin suspended substrates, the hybrid plasmonic modes, formed by the coupling between a metal nanowire and a dielectric nanowire with optical gain, exhibit negligible substrate-mediated characteristics and overlap better with the gain region. Consequently, the confinement factor of the guided hybrid modes is enhanced by more than 42%. However, the presence of significant mirror loss remains the main challenge to lasing. By adding silver coatings with a sufficient thickness range on the two end facets, we show that the reflectivity is substantially enhanced to above 50%. For a coating thickness of 50 nm and cavity length of about 4 μm, the quality factor is above 100.     

A Versatile Synthetic Platform Based on Bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes

Bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes, which are readily accessible molecules via the transition metal-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes, and have served as useful building blocks in organic synthesis. These molecules can undergo a variety of ring-opening reactions given that the release of the cyclopropyl ring strain (27.5 kcal/mol) may serve as a thermodynamic driving force for reactions, and the double bond within the skeleton can afford the kinetic opportunity to initiate the ring-opening via a coordination to a metal species. Even though the chemistry of the cyclopropyl group has been widely explored in organic chemistry, less attention has been paid to the chemistry of bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes. However, during the past 5 years, we have been engaged in the exploration of the chemistry of bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes. This review describes the chemistry developed in our laboratory. Depending upon the position, number, and identity of the substituent(s), the identity of the tether group, and the nature of the catalytic system, bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes can undergo a variety of transformations. Our studies have revealed the reaction patterns of bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes which include thermal reactions, nucleophilic addition, and rhodium-catalyzed reactions, that can proceed both with and without opening of the cyclopropyl ring. The chemistry described in this review can be used to produce a variety of new compounds such as 2,4-pentadienals, 3-methylene-4-vinylcyclohex-1-enes, bicyclo[3.2.2]nonadienes, 1,6,7,9a-tetrahydrocyclohepta[c] pyrans and -pyridines, hexahydroisoquinolines, 4-oxa-6-azatricyclo[3.3.0.0^2,8]octanes, and heterotricyclo[3.3.1.0^2,8]nonanes.     

Damage monitoring of cement paste by electrical resistance measurement

Electrical resistance measurement is effective for monitoring damage (due to damage infliction and subsequent microcrack opening) and healing (due to microcrack closing) of cement pastes (plain, with silica-fume, and with latex) in real time during repeated compressive loading. Damage causes the resistance to increase; healing causes the resistance to decrease.     

THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTY VARIATION OF NONAZEOTROPIC REFRIGERANT MIXTURES (NARMs) IN THE TEMPERATURE GLIDING ZONE

The relations among enthalpy, temperature and quality of nonazeotropic refrigerant mixtures (NARMs) in the phase change region (temperature gliding region) are investigated to seek a possibility for linear approximations. Using REFPROP, a refrigerant property calculation package developed by NIST, temperature-enthalpy, temperature-quality, quality-enthalpy relations are investigated for 4 binary and 15 ternary NARMs. Those 19 NARMs tested are the most promising alternative refrigerants for conventional CFC and HCFC refrigerants. A normalized enthalpy. which is a pseudo-quality in a sense, is defined based on the dew and bubble point enthalpies to compare with the conventional quality. The results show that the pseudo-quality and the conventional quality are almost identical independent of system pressure for all the NARMs tested while enthalpy-temperature and quality-temperature relations are diverse and highly pressure dependent depending on mixture combinations. The significance of the near-identical relation between the two qualities is that the easy-to-calculate pseudo-quality can replace quality in convective heat transfer coefficient representations.     

Experimental studies on the instabilities of viscous fingering in a Hele-Shaw cell

When air is injected into silicone oil contained in a horizontal Hele-Shaw cell, a single air bubble forms and grows showing various interesting phenomena. In this study the effects of the bubble front velocity, air injection velocity at a nozzle, fluid properties and cell depth on the stability of the growing bubble were investigated experimentally. By using the modified capillary number involving the aspect ratio, we obtained the onset conditions of the unstable bubble. Also, the bubble width was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Before the bubble experiences splitting, the bubble front velocity is almost proportional to the air injection velocity. Therefore the latter velocity may be used in a practical sense.