Microscopic Contour Changes of Tribological Surfaces by Chemical and Mechanical Action

An electronic optical laser interferometer capable of resolving depth differences of as low as 30 Å and planar displacements of 6000 Å was constructed for the examination of surface profiles of bearing surfaces without physical contact. This instrument was used to determine topological chemical reactivity by applying a drop of dilute alcoholic hydrochloric acid and measuring the profile of the solid surface before and after application of this probe. It was found that scuffed bearing surfaces exposed to lubricants containing an organic chloride reacted much more slowly. In a separate series of experiments, a number of stainless steel plates were heated in a nitrogen atmosphere to different temperatures and their reactivity examined later at ambient temperature. The change of surface contour as a result of the probe reaction was found to follow an Arrhenius-type relation with respect to heat treatment temperature. This result could have implications on the scuffing mechanism.     

Stress tensor and elastic properties for hard and soft spheres

Properties determined from the microscopic stress tensor are discussed for the related systems of a steeply repulsive pair potential and hard spheres. The microscopic stress tensors determined from the local conservation law for momentum are different in these two cases. Consequences are discussed for both fluid and solid phases.     

Model order determination and noise removal for modal parameter estimation

Given a noisy impulsive response function (IRF) that has been contributed by an unknown number of modes, this article proposes a different approach from the traditional methods for estimating modal parameters from this noisy IRF. The major difference lies in the way of handling noise and choosing the computational model order. Whereas the traditional approach accommodates noise by purposely increasing the computational model order, the proposed approach uses the actual system order as the computational model order and rejects noise prior to performing the modal parameter estimation. The proposed approach includes three steps: (1) model order (or number of modes) determination from the measured IRF—by finding the rank of a Hankel matrix constructed from the measured IRF, (2) noise removal from the measured IRF to obtain a filtered IRF—by implementing Cadzow's algorithm for the structured low rank approximation (SLRA) on the Hankel matrix, and (3) modal parameters estimation from the filtered IRF—by using the complex exponential method (Prony's method). Numerical studies include both synthesized and experimental data. While measured IRFs with mild and strong noise levels are simulated for a 5 degree-of-freedom mass-spring-dashpot system, the modal parameter estimations based on the filtered IRFs are very good for both noise levels. While experimental data are measured from two accelerometers mounted at a cantilever beam, the modal parameters estimated from the filtered IRFs of the two accelerometers are in excellent agreement.     

Assessment of Hillside Coal Waste Embankment Failures Using Qualitative Analysis

Qualitative assessment provides a sound process for defining specific aspects of risk associated with potentially unstable slopes. Field observations, experience, field data, and back analysis from eleven past slope failures have been used to identify common and significant factors associated with the potential failure of coal waste embankments located in southwest Virginia. A database containing information about site location, characteristics, and conditions has been developed using Office of Surface Mining program narratives and engineering reports. It was observed that the pattern of failure was almost identical at each site and driven by the same phenomena. Degradation of the spoil material, accelerated by poor drainage conditions and periods of increased precipitation, lead to a decrease in interparticle strength and failure along a “lubricated,” or highly weathered, surface. The development of a rating system for the identification of potentially unstable coal waste embankments, based on the factors and characteristics reviewed here, will eventually lead to the implementation of a preventive maintenance program. Preventative maintenance will most likely need to include monitoring of the area, installation of a proper drainage system, and revegetation.     

The Cellular and Molecular Carcinogenic Effects of Radon Exposure: A Review

Radon-222 is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is responsible for approximately half of the human annual background radiation exposure globally. Chronic exposure to radon and its decay products is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, and links to other forms of neoplasms have been postulated. Ionizing radiation emitted during the radioactive decay of radon and its progeny can induce a variety of cytogenetic effects that can be biologically damaging and result in an increased risk of carcinogenesis. Suggested effects produced as a result of alpha particle exposure from radon include mutations, chromosome aberrations, generation of reactive oxygen species, modification of the cell cycle, up or down regulation of cytokines and the increased production of proteins associated with cell-cycle regulation and carcinogenesis. A number of potential biomarkers of exposure, including translocations at codon 249 of TP53 in addition to HPRT mutations, have been suggested although, in conclusion, the evidence for such hotspots is insufficient. There is also substantial evidence of bystander effects, which may provide complications when calculating risk estimates as a result of exposure, particularly at low doses where cellular responses often appear to deviate from the linear, no-threshold hypothesis. At low doses, effects may also be dependent on cellular conditions as opposed to dose. The cellular and molecular carcinogenic effects of radon exposure have been observed to be both numerous and complex and the elevated chronic exposure of man may therefore pose a significant public health risk that may extend beyond the association with lung carcinogenesis.     

Cobalt Ferrite in YSZ for Use as Reactive Material in Solar Thermochemical Water and Carbon Dioxide Splitting, Part II: Kinetic Modeling

The kinetics of 10 wt.% cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) in 8 mol.% yttria-stabilized zirconia, synthesized via the co-precipitation method and formed into a porous structure, are investigated in support of simulating the performance of a solar thermochemical reactor. Kinetic parameters for the thermal reduction (T-R) of CoFe₂O₄ at temperatures of 1325–1500°C were investigated by thermogravimetry. A nonlinear best fit of a uniform conversion model was used to determine kinetic parameters from experimental data. In the temperature range of 1375–1450°C, the activation energy and preexponential term were found to be 386 ± 13 kJ mol^?1 and 8.8 × 10⁹ ± 2.0 × 10⁸ min^?1, respectively, while increasing at higher temperatures. Simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry studies showed an increase in the reaction rate of T-R upon the onset of melting (1440°C). Oxidation studies of the material using CO₂ yield an activation energy and preexponential term of 52.1 ± 6.8 kJ mol^?1 and 2.86 ± 0.2 min^?1, respectively, which is in good agreement with past work. The reaction order for CO₂ was determined to be 0.750 ± 0.08. The reaction kinetics for oxidation using CO₂ were best described by a 3-D diffusion Jander model.     

On the use of multi-path inductorless TIAs for larger transimpedance limit

This paper discusses the use of mutli-path inductorless transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), consisting of several different second-order shunt-feedback sub-TIAs (SF-sTIAs) driven by the photodiode, to break the single-stage technology-dependent transimpedance limit. The advantage of the MP-TIA that is explored in this work is in its third-order transfer function, which provides additional degrees of freedom in tailoring the performance. Pole and zero locations of the MP-TIA transfer function are examined and verified with behavioural simulations. The theoretical transimpedance limit for MP-TIAs based on two SF-sTIAs is derived. The possibility of further increasing the transimpedance limit vs bandwidth trade-off by combining three and four sub-TIAs is investigated with simulations. A transistor-level design example of an MP-TIA is presented. The 0.13-μm CMOS MP-TIA achieves the largest figure-of-merit among published TIAs.