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At least 325 records · Page 18

Hierarchical Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Micropatterned Nanowire Arrays for High-Efficiency Jumping Droplet Condensation

Self-propelled droplet jumping on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces is of interest for a variety of industrial applications including self-cleaning, water harvesting, power generation, and thermal management systems. However, the uncontrolled nucleation-induced Wenzel state of condensed droplets at large surface subcooling (high heat flux) leads to the formation of unwanted large pinned droplets, which results in the flooding phenomenon and greatly degrades the heat transfer performance. In this work, we present a novel strategy to manipulate droplet behaviors during the process from the droplet nucleation to growth and departure through a combination of spatially controlling initial nucleation for mobile droplets by closely spaced nanowires and promoting the spontaneous outward movement of droplets for rapid removal using micropatterned nanowire arrays. Through the optical visualization experiments and heat transfer tests, we demonstrate greatly improved condensation heat transfer characteristics on the hierarchical superhydrophobic surface including the higher density of microdroplets, smaller droplet departure radius, 133% wider range of surface subcooling for droplet jumping, and 37% enhancement in critical heat flux for jumping droplet condensation, compared to the-state-of-art jumping droplet condensation on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces. The excellent water repellency of such hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces can be promising for many potential applications, such as anti-icing, antifogging, water desalination, and phase-change heat transfer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Moiré pattern of interference dislocations in condensate of indirect excitons

Interference patterns provide direct measurement of coherent propagation of matter waves in quantum systems. Superfluidity in Bose–Einstein condensates of excitons can enable long-range ballistic exciton propagation and can lead to emerging long-scale interference patterns. Indirect excitons (IXs) are formed by electrons and holes in separated layers. The theory predicts that the reduced IX recombination enables IX superfluid propagation over macroscopic distances. Here, we present dislocation-like phase singularities in interference patterns produced by condensate of IXs. We analyze how exciton vortices and skyrmions should appear in the interference experiments and show that the observed interference dislocations are not associated with these phase defects. We show that the observed interference dislocations originate from the moiré effect in combined interference patterns of propagating condensate matter waves. The interference dislocations are formed by the IX matter waves ballistically propagating over macroscopic distances. The long-range ballistic IX propagation is the evidence for IX condensate superfluidity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Polariton condensation in a strain-compensated planar microcavity with InGaAs quantum wells

The investigation of intrinsic interactions in polariton condensates is currently limited by the photonic disorder of semiconductor microcavity structures. Here, we use a strain compensated planar GaAs/AlAs{sub 0.98}P{sub 0.02} microcavity with embedded InGaAs quantum wells having a reduced cross-hatch disorder to overcome this issue. Using real and reciprocal space spectroscopic imaging under non-resonant optical excitation, we observe polariton condensation and a second threshold marking the onset of photon lasing, i.e., the transition from the strong to the weak-coupling regime. Condensation in a structure with suppressed photonic disorder is a necessary step towards the implementation of periodic lattices of interacting condensates, providing a platform for on chip quantum simulations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Entropy density of an adiabatic relativistic Bose-Einstein condensate star

Inspired by recent works, we investigate how the thermodynamics parameters (entropy, temperature, number density, energy density, etc) of Bose-Einstein Condensate star scale with the structure of the star. Below the critical temperature in which the condensation starts to occur, we study how the entropy behaves with varying temperature till it reaches its own stability against gravitational collapse and singularity. Compared to photon gases (pressure is described by radiation) where the chemical potential, μ is zero, entropy of photon gases obeys the Stefan-Boltzmann Law for a small values of T while forming a spiral structure for a large values of T due to general relativity. The entropy density of Bose-Einstein Condensate is obtained following the similar sequence but limited under critical temperature condition. We adopt the scalar field equation of state in Thomas-Fermi limit to study the characteristics of relativistic Bose-Einstein condensate under varying temperature and entropy. Finally, we obtain the entropy density proportional to (σT{sup 3}-3T) which obeys the Stefan-Boltzmann Law in ultra-relativistic condition.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Many-body reactive force field development for carbon condensation in C/O systems under extreme conditions

In this paper, we describe the development of a reactive force field for C/O systems under extreme temperatures and pressures, based on the many-body Chebyshev Interaction Model for Efficient Simulation (ChIMES). The resulting model, which targets carbon condensation under thermodynamic conditions of 6500 K and 2.5 g cm –3 , affords a balance between model accuracy, complexity, and training set generation expense. We show that the model recovers much of the accuracy of density functional theory for the prediction of structure, dynamics, and chemistry when applied to dissociative condensed phase systems at 1:1 and 1:2 C:O ratios, as well as molten carbon. Our C/O modeling approach exhibits a 104 increase in efficiency for the same system size (i.e., 128 atoms) and a linear system size scalability over standard quantum molecular dynamics methods, allowing the simulation of significantly larger systems than previously possible. We find that the model captures the condensed-phase reaction-coupled formation of carbon clusters implied by recent experiments, and that this process is susceptible to strong finite size effects. Overall, we find the present ChIMES model to be well suited for studying chemical processes and cluster formation at pressures and temperatures typical of shock waves. We expect that the present C/O modeling paradigm can serve as a template for the development of a broader high pressure–high temperature force-field for condensed phase chemistry in organic materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Implications of a two-fluid heat diffusion model for RF condensation effects in magnetic islands

Theoretical calculations have predicted an “RF condensation” effect through which the temperature perturbation and current drive may be nonlinearly enhanced in electron cyclotron (EC) heated magnetic islands. Previously, two-fluid effects had been neglected in the OCCAMI code used to model RF condensation. For realistic experimental conditions, we show that two-fluid effects in an EC heated plasma may have a major impact on RF condensation. Less collisional plasmas, where electron and ion temperatures are decoupled, exhibit an enhanced linear temperature perturbation in the island, and an even stronger nonlinear enhancement of the perturbed temperature. This can occur even when nonlinear effects are small in the single-fluid limit. We also calculate corresponding hysteresis effects. Finally, we demonstrate that other physical effects, including the rotation of the magnetic island and the Gaussian spread of the beam from a gyrotron, can significantly decrease the predicted observable RF condensation effect.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Spatial order in interference of a chain of Bose condensates with random phases

We have observed the interference of a long chain of Bose condensates prepared at the initial time moment in antinodes of a standing electromagnetic wave. The initial distribution of the condensate density in the system under consideration is periodic while the condensate phases can be different. Then the standing wave is quickly turned off, and the condensates start to expand and interfere. A spatial order of the interference fringes is observed with a period being substantially different from the period arising in the case of the Talbot effect. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

No-go theorem for boson condensation in topologically ordered quantum liquids

Certain phase transitions between topological quantum field theories (TQFTs) are driven by the condensation of bosonic anyons. However, as bosons in a TQFT are themselves nontrivial collective excitations, there can be topological obstructions that prevent them from condensing. Here we formulate such an obstruction in the form of a no-go theorem. We use it to show that no condensation is possible in SO(3) k TQFTs with odd k. We further show that a 'layered' theory obtained by tensoring SO(3) k TQFT with itself any integer number of times does not admit condensation transitions either. Furthermore, this includes (as the case k = 3) the noncondensability of any number of layers of the Fibonacci TQFT.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Infinite statistics condensate as a model of dark matter

In some models, dark matter is considered as a condensate bosonic system. In this paper, we prove that condensation is also possible for particles that obey infinite statistics and derive the critical condensation temperature. We argue that a condensed state of a gas of very weakly interacting particles obeying infinite statistics could be considered as a consistent model of dark matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Singularities in nearly uniform one-dimensional condensates due to quantum diffusion

Dissipative systems often exhibit wavelength-dependent loss rates. One prominent example is Rydberg polaritons formed by electromagnetically induced transparency, which have long been a leading candidate for studying the physics of interacting photons and also hold promise as a platform for quantum information. In this system, dissipation is in the form of quantum diffusion, i.e., proportional to k 2 (k being the wavevector) and vanishing at long wavelengths as k→0. Here, we show that one-dimensional condensates subject to this type of loss are unstable to long-wavelength density fluctuations in an unusual manner: after a prolonged period in which the condensate appears to relax to a uniform state, local depleted regions quickly form and spread ballistically throughout the system. We connect this behavior to the leading-order equation for the nearly uniform condensate—a dispersive analog to the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation—which develops singularities in finite time. Furthermore, we show that the wavefronts of the depleted regions are described by purely dissipative solitons within a pair of hydrodynamic equations, with no counterpart in lossless condensates. We close by discussing conditions under which such singularities and the resulting solitons can be physically realized.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Vortices in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates

Realistic methods to create vortices in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates are discussed. It is shown that, contrary to common intuition, rotation of the trap containing a spin-orbit condensate does not lead to an equilibrium state with static vortex structures but gives rise instead to nonequilibrium behavior described by an intrinsically time-dependent Hamiltonian. We propose here the following alternative methods to induce thermodynamically stable static vortex configurations: (i) to rotate both the lasers and the anisotropic trap and (ii) to impose a synthetic Abelian field on top of synthetic spin-orbit interactions. Effective Hamiltonians for spin-orbit condensates under such perturbations are derived for most currently known realistic laser schemes that induce synthetic spin-orbit couplings. The Gross-Pitaevskii equation is solved for several experimentally relevant regimes. The new interesting effects include spatial separation of left- and right-moving spin-orbit condensates, the appearance of unusual vortex arrangements, and parity effects in vortex nucleation where the topological excitations are predicted to appear in pairs. All these phenomena are shown to be highly nonuniversal and depend strongly on a specific laser scheme and system parameters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Vortex structures of rotating spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates

We consider the quasi-two-dimensional two-component Bose-Einstein condensates with Rashba spin-orbit (SO) coupling in a rotating trap. The rotation angular velocity couples to the mechanical angular momentum, which contains a noncanonical part arising from SO coupling. The effects of an external Zeeman term favoring spin polarization along the radial direction is also considered, which has the same form as the noncanonical part of the mechanical angular momentum. The rotating condensate exhibits a variety of rich structures by varying the strengths of the trapping potential and interaction. With a strong trapping potential, the condensate exhibits a half-quantum vortex-lattice configuration. Such a configuration is driven to the normal one by introducing the external radial Zeeman field. In the case of a weak trap potential, the condensate exhibits a multidomain pattern of plane-wave states under the external radial Zeeman field.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Non-Hermitian Phase Transition from a Polariton Bose-Einstein Condensate to a Photon Laser

We propose here a novel mechanism for a nonequilibrium phase transition in a $U(1)$-broken phase of an electron-hole-photon system, from a Bose-Einstein condensate of polaritons to a photon laser, induced by the non-Hermitian nature of the condensate. We show that a (uniform) steady state of the condensate can always be classified into two types, namely, arising either from lower or upper-branch polaritons. We prove (for a general model) and demonstrate (for a particular model of polaritons) that an exceptional point where the two types coalesce marks the end point of a first-order-like phase boundary between the two types, similar to a critical point in a liquid-gas phase transition. Since the phase transition found in this paper is not in general triggered by population inversion, our result implies that the second threshold observed in experiments is not necessarily a strong-to-weak-coupling transition, contrary to the widely believed understanding. Although our calculation mainly aims to clarify polariton physics, our discussion is applicable to general driven-dissipative condensates composed of two complex fields.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Oblique solitons generated by the flow of a polariton condensate past an obstacle

The formation of oblique solitons in a polariton condensate flowing past an obstacle is considered. Because of the finite lifetime of polaritons, the condensate flow is inhomogeneous, which leads to a significant modification of the conditions necessary for the generation of oblique solitons as compared to the conditions established earlier for the flow of an atomic condensate. In particular, it is established that oblique solitons in the polariton case can be generated by a subsonic flow of the condensate in agreement with the results of recent experiments [9]. The geometric shape and other parameters of oblique solitons are analytically calculated using a model based on the nonlinear Schroedinger equation with damping, and the analytical results are confirmed by numerical simulations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Air-Cooled Condensers for Next Generation Geothermal Power Plants (Final Report)

This report summarizes the efforts performed under the ARRA project “Air-Cooled Condensers in Next Generation Conversion Systems”. This project examined technologies that provide near-term improvements to the performance of binary power plants utilizing air-cooled condensers. The motivation for pursuing these improvements is to reduce the power generation costs for enhanced geothermal system (EGS) resources. The study is based on two premises. • Water will not be readily available, and there will be no consumptive use of it in the surface energy conversion system. • The EGS resources utilized for power production will be at greater depths, requiring expensive wells to access the heat. In addition, these resources will have costs associated with the creation of the subsurface reservoir where heat that powers the energy conversion system is extracted. The costs associated with the well field development and EGS reservoir creation provide the impetus for using more efficient energy conversion systems, as well as conversion systems that have higher efficiencies at ‘off-design’ conditions. In identifying the more efficient conversion systems, this work focused on: • Existing technologies with the potential to increase conversion efficiency. These are commercially available technologies that are not typically used in plants operating on hydrothermal resources, • Design strategies to increase plant output during operation at higher ambient temperatures, as well as at ‘off-design’ conditions (operation at resource and ambient temperatures other than those for which the plant was designed), • The feasibility of using mixed working fluids in binary plants using air-cooled condensers. Mixtures have been shown to have the potential to increase binary plant performance by 10% to 20%. This project was originally proposed to also evaluate the use of air-cooled condensers in flash-steam geothermal plants. However, reduced funding subsequent to starting work resulted in elimination of that task.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Long-range transported continental aerosol in the eastern North Atlantic: three multiday event regimes influence cloud condensation nuclei

Abstract. The eastern North Atlantic (ENA) is a region dominated by pristine marine environment and subtropical marine boundary layer clouds. Under unperturbed atmospheric conditions, the regional aerosol regime in the ENA varies seasonally due to different seasonal surface-ocean biogenic emissions, removal processes, and meteorological regimes. However, during periods when the marine boundary layer aerosol in the ENA is impacted by particles transported from continental sources, aerosol properties within the marine boundary layer change significantly, affecting the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Here, we investigate the impact of long-range transported continental aerosol on the regional aerosol regime in the ENA using data collected at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility on Graciosa Island in 2017 during the Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) campaign. We develop an algorithm that integrates number concentrations of particles with optical particle dry diameter (Dp) between 100 and 1000 nm, single scattering albedo, and black carbon concentration to identify multiday events (with duration >24 consecutive hours) of long-range continental aerosol transport in the ENA. In 2017, we detected nine multiday events of long-range transported particles that correspond to ∼ 7.5 % of the year. For each event, we perform HYSPLIT 10 d backward trajectories analysis, and we evaluate CALIPSO aerosol products to assess, respectively, the origins and compositions of aerosol particles arriving at the ENA site. Subsequently, we group the events into three categories, (1) mixture of dust and marine aerosols, (2) mixture of marine and polluted continental aerosols from industrialized areas, and (3) biomass burning aerosol from North America and Canada, and we evaluate their influence on aerosol population and cloud condensation nuclei in terms of potential activation fraction and concentrations at supersaturation of 0.1 % and 0.2 %. The arrival of plumes dominated by the mixture of dust and marine aerosol in the ENA in the winter caused significant increases in baseline Ntot. Simultaneously, the baseline particle size modes and CCN potential activation fraction remained almost unvaried, while cloud condensation nuclei concentrations increased proportionally to Ntot. Events dominated by a mixture of marine and polluted continental aerosols in spring, fall, and winter led to a statistically significant increase in baseline Ntot, a shift towards larger particular sizes, a higher CCN potential activation fractions, and cloud condensation nuclei concentrations of >170 % and up to 240 % higher than during baseline regime. Finally, the transported aerosol plumes characterized by elevated concentration of biomass burning aerosol from continental wildfires detected in the summertime did not statistically contribute to increase baseline aerosol particle concentrations in the ENA. However, particle diameters were larger than under baseline conditions, and CCN potential activation fractions were >75 % higher. Consequentially, cloud concentration nuclei concentrations increased by ∼ 115 % during the period affected by the biomass burning events. Our results suggest that, through the year, multiday events of long-range continental aerosol transport periodically affect the ENA and represent a significant source of CCN in the marine boundary layer. Based on our analysis, in 2017, the multiday aerosol plume transport dominated by a mixture of dust and marine aerosol, a mixture of marine and polluted continental aerosols, and biomass burning aerosols caused increases in the NCCN baseline regime of, respectively, 6.6 %, 8 %, and 7.4 % at SS 0.1 % (and, respectively, 6.5 %, 8.2 %, and 7.3 % at SS 0.2 %) in the ENA.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

High-Vacuum Condenser Design: Experimental Effects from Cesium and Mercury Ion Beams

Effects of variable-energy electrostatic rocket-engine ion exhaust beams that pertain to the design of high-vacuum condensers are discussed. Three ion-engine beam sources, using cesium and mercury as propellants, were operated at energy levels of 200 to 9000 electron volts and currents of 0.002 to 0.200 ampere. Five condenser geometries, having surface areas from 0.287 to 5.76 square meters, were tested. Values for a function of the accommodation and condensation coefficients, which appears in an existing theoretical analysis, were determined. Although exhibiting rather wide variations in some tests, the values were estimated at approximately 0.15 for cesium and 0.015 for mercury. A method of estimating condenser surface area requirements is given.

MERCURY /METAL/↗

Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE): From Initial Concept to Full Implementation on the International Space Station

Two phase thermal management systems that capitalize on both latent and sensible heats of the working fluid can yield orders of magnitude enhancements in flow boiling and condensation heat transfer coefficients and reduce size and weight of future space systems. Because the understanding of microgravity influences on two-phase flow and heat transfer is quite limited, there is presently an urgent need for a new experimental microgravity facility to enable investigators to perform long-duration flow boiling and condensation experiments in pursuit of reliable databases. This presentation will discuss evolution of the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE), a collaborative effort between Purdue University and NASA Glenn Research Center, from initial concept with clearly defined objectives to full implementation on the International Space Station (ISS). It will be shown how this facility will serve as a primary platform for obtaining two-phase flow and heat transfer data in microgravity. By comparing the microgravity data against those obtained in Earth gravity, it will be possible to ascertain the influence of body force on two-phase transport phenomena in pursuit of mechanistic models as well as correlations, and to help determine the minimum flow criteria to ensure gravity independent flow boiling and condensation.

Flow boiling↗