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At least 415 records · Page 23

Development and analysis of prognostic equations for mesoscale kinetic energy and mesoscale (subgrid scale) fluxes for large-scale atmospheric models

Generated by landscape discontinuities (e.g., sea breezes) mesoscale circulation processes are not represented in large-scale atmospheric models (e.g., general circulation models), which have an inappropiate grid-scale resolution. With the assumption that atmospheric variables can be separated into large scale, mesoscale, and turbulent scale, a set of prognostic equations applicable in large-scale atmospheric models for momentum, temperature, moisture, and any other gaseous or aerosol material, which includes both mesoscale and turbulent fluxes is developed. Prognostic equations are also developed for these mesoscale fluxes, which indicate a closure problem and, therefore, require a parameterization. For this purpose, the mean mesoscale kinetic energy (MKE) per unit of mass is used, defined as E-tilde = 0.5 (the mean value of u'(sub i exp 2), where u'(sub i) represents the three Cartesian components of a mesoscale circulation (the angle bracket symbol is the grid-scale, horizontal averaging operator in the large-scale model, and a tilde indicates a corresponding large-scale mean value). A prognostic equation is developed for E-tilde, and an analysis of the different terms of this equation indicates that the mesoscale vertical heat flux, the mesoscale pressure correlation, and the interaction between turbulence and mesoscale perturbations are the major terms that affect the time tendency of E-tilde. A-state-of-the-art mesoscale atmospheric model is used to investigate the relationship between MKE, landscape discontinuities (as characterized by the spatial distribution of heat fluxes at the earth's surface), and mesoscale sensible and latent heat fluxes in the atmosphere. MKE is compared with turbulence kinetic energy to illustrate the importance of mesoscale processes as compared to turbulent processes. This analysis emphasizes the potential use of MKE to bridge between landscape discontinuities and mesoscale fluxes and, therefore, to parameterize mesoscale fluxes generated by such subgrid-scale landscape discontinuities in large-scale atmospheric models.

Avissar, Roni↗

DNS, Enstrophy Balance, and the Dissipation Equation in a Separated Turbulent Channel Flow

The turbulent flows through a plane channel and a channel with a constriction (2-D hill) are numerically simulated using DNS and RANS calculations. The Navier-Stokes equations in the DNS are solved using a higher order kinetic energy preserving central schemes and a fifth order accurate upwind biased WENO scheme for the space discretization. RANS calculations are performed using the NASA code CFL3D with the komega SST two-equation model and a full Reynolds stress model. Using DNS, the magnitudes of different terms that appear in the enstrophy equation are evaluated. The results show that the dissipation and the diffusion terms reach large values at the wall. All the vortex stretching terms have similar magnitudes within the buffer region. Beyond that the triple correlation among the vorticity and strain rate fluctuations becomes the important kinematic term in the enstrophy equation. This term is balanced by the viscous dissipation. In the separated flow, the triple correlation term and the viscous dissipation term peak locally and balance each other near the separated shear layer region. These findings concur with the analysis of Tennekes and Lumley, confirming that the energy transfer terms associated with the small-scale dissipation and the fluctuations of the vortex stretching essentially cancel each other, leaving an equation for the dissipation that is governed by the large-scale motion.

Balakumar, Ponnampalam↗

Vacuum-assisted carbon molecular sieve membrane reactor for non-oxidative ethane dehydrogenation

Non-oxidative ethane dehydrogenation (EDH) is equilibrium-limited and endothermic. Selective hydrogen removal using a gas-permeable membrane within the EDH reaction zone can overcome the thermodynamic equilibrium, enabling higher ethane conversions. Employing vacuum as the permeation driving force, rather than a sweep gas, enhances the industrial viability of membrane reactors by eliminating additional post-reaction separation units. This study presents a membrane reactor that integrates H 2 -permeable carbon molecular sieve (CMS) hollow fiber membranes embedded in a fixed bed of cobalt in a dealuminated beta zeolite (Co@DeAl-BEA) catalyst, utilizing a vacuum to remove hydrogen efficiently. The CMS membrane exhibits high hydrogen permeance and an excellent H 2 /C 2 H 6 separation factor. The membrane reactor significantly enhanced the ethane conversion under reaction conditions comparable to those reported in the literature. A Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic rate expression was developed and incorporated into a one-dimensional steady-state reactor model. The experimentally validated model indicates that increasing the number of hollow fibers improves ethane conversion, although ethane loss to the permeate limits the benefit. The contact area between the catalyst and the membrane limits the reactor performance more than the catalytic throughput. Furthermore, we find that the location of the catalyst packing relative to the hollow fiber membranes influences ethane loss and conversion. Higher reactor pressures and inlet ethane flow rates improve space-time yield at the expense of lower ethane conversion. Increasing reactor temperature or packing length promotes both performance metrics. The EDH membrane reactor demonstrated durability over 200 h of continuous operation, maintaining record-low deactivation rates and high ethylene selectivity. Protocols for catalyst regeneration were developed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Crystallization-assisted water adsorption in amorphous molecular adsorbents

Efficient and stable water adsorbents are essential for removing moisture from natural gas and olefins during their production. Industrial desiccants such as alumina and zeolites require high regeneration temperatures, while metal-organic frameworks often suffer from limited long-term stability and reusability. Here, we introduce a new type of molecular desiccants (M-PyC) that, in principle, can be reused indefinitely. These simple molecular coordination complexes undergo fully reversible phase transitions between crystalline and amorphous states through the decoordination (bond breaking) and recoordination (bond reforming) of water molecules. They exhibit high water uptake (30 wt%) and superb selectivity, excluding hydrocarbons entirely. Their effectiveness for dehydration, combined with low regeneration temperature, fast desorption kinetics, low-cost and green synthesis, easy scalability to kilogram quantities, and essentially unlimited recyclability, makes them truly competitive dehydration agents for industrial separations. The use of amorphous molecular adsorbents, where crystallinity and porosity are no longer stringent requirements, and the adsorption-desorption process entirely under ambient air, offers a conceptually different approach to adsorption-based separation science and potentially realistic solution to the long-standing challenge of sustained stability in coordinate-bonded adsorbents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

VARI3D & PERSENT: Perturbation and Sensitivity Analysis

The nodal diffusion method is one of the most widely used approaches in modern reactor analysis. In the nodal diffusion method, a coarse multi-group set of “homogenized” parameters is constructed such that the complex geometry of a reactor core along with the energy dependence of neutron and gamma ray cross sections in a nuclear reactor are conserved in the simpler geometry. The homogenization is typically done on a fuel assembly level as is the case in the DIF3D code developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The nodal methodology is used primarily to predict fuel cycle behavior of nuclear systems of which there is a substantial amount of validation in the literature. Another use of the nodal method is to obtain reactivity coefficients and kinetics parameters for use in a safety analysis of a given nuclear reactor. While there are many ways to obtain reactivity worth and kinetics parameters, the work presented in this manuscript is unique as it provides the user with the ability to compute reactivity worths, kinetics parameters, and cross section sensitivities with a Cartesian and hexagonal geometry based transport code. This manuscript serves as a single manual for two separate codes: VARI3D and PERSENT. The VARI3D code (VARIational 3D) is based upon the classic finite difference diffusion theory solver available in DIF3D. The PERSENT code (PERturbation and SENitivity for Transport) is based upon the variational nodal method employed in DIF3D termed VARIANT. The VARIANT solver was added to DIF3D in 1995 and has seen continued development and use for the last 18 years. Because VARI3D primarily uses deprecated coding practices, rather than incorporating the perturbation and sensitivity treatments for transport within VARI3D, a new coding development was built using modern Fortran coding. The primary purpose of this manual is to describe the theory behind PERSENT (and by convenience, that of VARI3D) and discuss the input and output of PERSENT along with giving potential users an idea of how to use it. While this manuscript does describe the input and output of VARI3D, the PERSENT code is intended to be the replacement capability of VARI3D as PERSENT can generate nearly identical (if not superior) diffusion theory results. In this manuscript, the relevant aspects of generalized perturbation theory and exact perturbation theory that apply to both VARI3D and PERSENT are covered. The input and output of VARI3D is displayed by excerpting several of the example problems. Similarly, the input and output of PERSENT is displayed along with tips on how best to use the code. Note that the input and output of the inhomogeneous solver wrapped around DIF3D (DIF3D_IFS) is also discussed as it is needed to carry out some of the sensitivities in PERSENT such as reaction rate ratios. This manuscript describes several perturbation and sensitivity problems, and the results computed using PERSENT. From these sections, potential users should find that PERSENT provides not only the typical tables of numbers desired in perturbation and sensitivity analysis work, but also can visually plot the result for a more thorough understanding of the space and energy distribution (Section 5). Overall, PERSENT is observed to produce accurate reactivity worths and sensitivities for the displayed set of test problems and clearly demonstrates the need to have a transport-based sensitivity capability as evident from the thousands of percent errors observed in the 21-group hexagonal fast reactor problem (covered in Section 7). The uncertainty calculation capability is described in Section 3 and demonstrated in Section 7.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Shock-wave structure in a partially ionized gas

The structure of a steady plane shock in a partially ionized gas has been investigated using the Boltzmann equation with a kinetic model as the governing equation and the discrete ordinate method as a tool. The effects of the electric field induced by the charge separation on the shock structure have also been studied. Although the three species of an ionized gas travel with approximately the same macroscopic velocity, the individual distribution functions are found to be very different. In a strong shock the atom distribution function may have double peaks, while the ion distribution function has only one peak. Electrons are heated up much earlier than ions and atoms in a partially ionized gas. Because the interactions of electrons with atoms and with ions are different, the ion temperature can be different from the atom temperature.

Lu, C. S.↗

The electrochemical generation of useful chemical species from lunar materials

The current status of work on an electrochemical technology for the simultaneous generation of oxygen and lithium from a Li2O containing molten salt (Li2O-LiCl-LiF) is discussed. The electrochemical cell utilizes an oxygen vacancy conducting solid electrolyte, yttria-stabilized zirconia, to effect separation between the oxygen evolving and lithium reduction half-cell reactions. The cell, which operates at 700 to 800 C, possesses rapid electrode kinetics at the lithium-alloy electrode with exchange current density values being greater than 60 mA/sq cm, showing high reversibility for this reaction. When used in the electrolytic mode, lithium produced at the negative electrode would be continuously removed from the cell for later use (under lunar conditions) as an easily storable reducting agent (compared to H2) for the chemical refining of lunar ores via the general reaction: 2Li + MO yields Li2O + M where MO represents a lunar ore. Emphasis to this time has been on the simulated lunar ore ilmenite (FeTiO3), which we have found becomes chemically reduced by Li at 432 C. Furthermore, both Fe2O3 and TiO2 have been reduced by Li to give the corresponding metal. This electrochemical approach provides a convenient route for producing metals under lunar conditions and oxygen for the continuous maintenance of human habitats on the Moon's surface. Because of the high reversibility of this electrochemical system, it has also formed the basis for the lithium-oxygen secondary battery. This secondary lithium-oxygen battery system posses the highest theoretical energy density yet investigated.

Tsai, Kan J.↗

Simple model of plasma acceleration in a magnetic nozzle

A collisionless, steady-state, cold-plasma model is used to calculate the three-dimensional trajectory of a plasma as it is accelerated through a diverging magnetic field. The magnetic field is assumed to be axisymmetric with nonzero radial and axial components and zero azimuthal component. Although random thermal motion of plasma species is neglected in the cold plasma approximation, an important effect of plasma thermal energy is accounted for in the model as the kinetic energy of electrons in their Larmor motion about magnetic field lines. Calculations based on this model confirm previous studies which suggested that plasma separation from the field of a magnetic nozzle can take place even in the absence of collisional diffusion. It is shown that plasma divergence in a magnetic nozzle can be controlled by tailoring the field geometry.

Sercel, Joel C.↗

Acceleration Modes and Transitions in Pulsed Plasma Accelerators

Pulsed plasma accelerators typically operate by storing energy in a capacitor bank and then discharging this energy through a gas, ionizing and accelerating it through the Lorentz body force. Two plasma accelerator types employing this general scheme have typically been studied: the gas-fed pulsed plasma thruster and the quasi-steady magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) accelerator. The gas-fed pulsed plasma accelerator is generally represented as a completely transient device discharging in approximately 1-10 microseconds. When the capacitor bank is discharged through the gas, a current sheet forms at the breech of the thruster and propagates forward under a j (current density) by B (magnetic field) body force, entraining propellant it encounters. This process is sometimes referred to as detonation-mode acceleration because the current sheet representation approximates that of a strong shock propagating through the gas. Acceleration of the initial current sheet ceases when either the current sheet reaches the end of the device and is ejected or when the current in the circuit reverses, striking a new current sheet at the breech and depriving the initial sheet of additional acceleration. In the quasi-steady MPD accelerator, the pulse is lengthened to approximately 1 millisecond or longer and maintained at an approximately constant level during discharge. The time over which the transient phenomena experienced during startup typically occur is short relative to the overall discharge time, which is now long enough for the plasma to assume a relatively steady-state configuration. The ionized gas flows through a stationary current channel in a manner that is sometimes referred to as the deflagration-mode of operation. The plasma experiences electromagnetic acceleration as it flows through the current channel towards the exit of the device. A device that had a short pulse length but appeared to operate in a plasma acceleration regime different from the gas-fed pulsed plasma accelerators was developed by Cheng, et al. The Coaxial High ENerGy (CHENG) thruster operated on the 10-microseconds timescales of pulsed plasma thrusters, but claimed high thrust density, high efficiency and low electrode erosion rates, which are more consistent with the deflagration mode of acceleration. Separate work on gas-fed pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) by Ziemer, et al. identified two separate regimes of performance. The regime at higher mass bits (termed Mode I in that work) possessed relatively constant thrust efficiency (ratio of jet kinetic energy to input electrical energy) as a function of mass bit. In the second regime at very low mass bits (termed Mode II), the efficiency increased with decreasing mass bit. Work by Poehlmann et al. and by Sitaraman and Raja sought to understand the performance of the CHENG thruster and the Mode I / Mode II performance in PPTs by modeling the acceleration using the Hugoniot Relation, with the detonation and deflagration modes representing two distinct sets of solutions to the relevant conservation laws. These works studied the proposal that, depending upon the values of the various controllable parameters, the accelerator would operate in either the detonation or deflagration mode. In the present work, we propose a variation on the explanation for the differences in performance between the various pulsed plasma accelerators. Instead of treating the accelerator as if it were only operating in one mode or the other during a pulse, we model the initial stage of the discharge in all cases as an accelerating current sheet (detonation mode). If the current sheet reaches the exit of the accelerator before the discharge is completed, the acceleration mode transitions to the deflagration mode type found in the quasi-steady MPD thrusters. This modeling method is used to demonstrate that standard gas-fed pulsed plasma accelerators, the CHENG thruster, and the quasi-steady MPD accelerator are variations of the same device, with the overall acceleration of the plasma depending upon the behavior of the plasma discharge during initial transient phase and the relative lengths of the detonation and deflagration modes of operation.

Polzin, Kurt A.↗

Sr 1-x Ca x Fe 1-y Co y O 3-δ as facile and tunable oxygen sorbents for chemical looping air separation

Abstract Chemical looping air separation (CLAS) is a promising technology for oxygen generation with high efficiency. The key challenge for CLAS is to design robust oxygen sorbents with suitable redox properties and fast redox kinetics. In this work, perovskite-structured Sr 1-x Ca x Fe 1-y Co y O 3 oxygen sorbents were investigated and demonstrated for oxygen production with tunable redox properties, high redox rate, and excellent thermal/steam stability. Cobalt doping at B site was found to be highly effective, 33% improvement in oxygen productivity was observed at 500 °C. Moreover, it stabilizes the perovskite structure and prevents phase segregation under pressure swing conditions in the presence of steam. Scalable synthesis of Sr 0.8 Ca 0.2 Fe 0.4 Co 0.6 O 3 oxygen sorbents was carried out through solid state reaction, co-precipitation, and sol-gel methods. Both co-precipitation and sol-gel methods are capable of producing Sr 0.8 Ca 0.2 Fe 0.4 Co 0.6 O 3 sorbents with satisfactory phase purity, high oxygen capacity, and fast redox kinetics. Large scale evaluation of Sr 0.8 Ca 0.2 Fe 0.4 Co 0.6 O 3 , using an automated CLAS testbed with over 300 g sorbent loading, further demonstrated the effectiveness of the oxygen sorbent to produce 95% pure O 2 with a satisfactory productivity of 0.04 g O2 g sorbent −1 h −1 at 600 °C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Unlocking bulk and surface oxygen transport properties of mixed oxide-ion and electron conducting membranes with combined oxygen permeation cell and oxygen probe method

Surface exchange kinetics and bulk diffusion of oxygen are of paramount importance to the activity of oxygen electrocatalysis and performance of electrochemical devices such as fuel cell, metal-air batteries, and oxygen separation membranes. Conventional approaches to obtaining these transport properties are often limited to single property under a specific non-operation related condition. Here we use a combined oxygen permeation cell and oxygen probe methodology to simultaneously attain rates of oxygen surface exchange and bulk conductivity/chemical diffusivity of three representative mixed oxide-ion and electron conductors, namely SrCo 0.9 Ta 0.1 O 3-δ (SCT), La 0.6 Sr 0.4 CoO 3-δ (LSC) and La 0.6 Sr 0.4 FeO 3-δ (LSF), operated under a steady-state oxygen flux. The results explicitly show that SCT exhibit the highest oxide-ion conductivity/chemical diffusivity, fastest rates of surface oxygen exchange kinetics, thus promising to be the best oxygen electrocatalyst. Here, we have also mapped out the distribution of oxygen chemical potential gradient across the membranes and applied B-transport number concept to illustrate the rate-limiting steps in the overall oxygen permeation process.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Forced unsteady deceleration of a turbulent boundary layer from a temporal perspective

The behavior of a turbulent boundary layer which has been subjected to a local ramp-like deceleration in the external velocity field, which leads to forced separation, has been studied experimentally. The data of this study are re-interpreted in light of more recent findings concerning the temporal nature of boundary layer turbulence in the presence of forced unsteady shear. In particular, the robustness of the near-wall turbulent motions to organized deformation is recognized. Their resilence during unsteady shearing action promotes continued efficient turbulent mixing and rapid redistribution of turbulent kinetic energy during forced transients. In aerodynamic problems, the rapid nature of the adjustment of the turbulence field to a new temporal boundary condition necessitates equally rapid remedial measures to be taken if means of control/prevention of forced unsteady separation are to be deployed to maximum effect. This requirement suggests exploration of the use of simple, real-time statistical forecasting techniques, based upon time-series analysis of easily-measurable features of the flow, to help assure timely deployment of mechanisms of boundary-layer control. This paper focuses upon the nature of turbulence in boundary layers undergoing forced deceleration which would lead to separation. A preliminary form of a forecasting model is presented and evaluated. Using observations of the previous two large eddies passing a detector, it forecasts the behavior of the future large eddy rather well.

Brereton, G. J.↗

Air Classification of Forestry Residues for Fast Pyrolysis

Understanding critical biomass attributes through efficient fractionation is crucial for advancing sustainable pyrolysis for renewable energy and chemical production. This study investigates the intricate relationship between biomass preprocessing and pyrolysis product yields, employing the air classification technique for the treatment of loblolly pine residues with varying moisture content. A comprehensive exploration of the physicochemical properties of air-classified loblolly pine informs a sophisticated pyrolysis simulation model. Given the complex and multifaceted nature of biomass pyrolysis, operating across diverse temporal and spatial scales, a pyrolysis kinetics-based CFD–DEM simulation method is employed to predict product yields. Results showed that the elevated moisture content amplifies particle adhesiveness, necessitating augmented air velocities for effective separation, thereby influencing the efficiency of the separation process. While carbon and hydrogen contents exhibit relative stability across diverse moisture contents and blower frequencies, the oxygen content undergoes noticeable changes. For example, the oxygen contents were measured as 29.2 and 38.6 wt% in the light fraction of 30% moisture content sample at blower frequencies of 10 and 20 Hz, respectively. An intriguing finding emerges from pyrolysis simulation, indicating that a lower blower frequency in air classification moderately enhances bio-oil yield and significantly improves its quality, particularly in terms of water content. For instance, the water content in the bio-oil was about 1.5% and 10% in the heavy and light fractions, respectively from 10% moisture sample under 15 Hz blower frequency.

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗

Extraction of gold, mercury, and lead with TEVA resin from HCl and HNO 3

The extraction behavior of 212 Pb, 197m Hg, and 194 Au on TEVA resin in HCl and HNO 3 solutions was studied with batch uptake, kinetics, and column studies. The uptake of mercury and gold was extremely high from HCl solutions, with maximum k’ >80,000 for both elements. The uptake of mercury was lower in HNO3 than HCl with a maximum k’ of ~ 8,000 in 0.02 M HNO 3 and decreasing uptake at higher concentrations of HNO3, which agrees well with previous work. The batch uptake of gold in HNO 3 was not measured, as it had been reported previously. The uptake of lead on TEVA resin in HCl was low with a maximum k’ of only ~ 90 in 1 M HCl. The uptake of lead in HNO 3 was negligible. The uptake kinetics of gold and mercury were characterized in HCl and HNO 3 solutions and high uptake was seen after ~ 60 s for both elements. Column separations of 212 Pb, 197m Hg, and 194 Au on TEVA resin from HCl and HNO 3 solutions are reported with high yields of mercury and lead, but with high losses of gold, which is retained on the resin. A rapid, high yield separation of 197m Hg from irradiated gold foils is presented with yields of ~ 100% for both elements and a total separation time of < 2 h.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Nanostructures evolution assessment and spectroscopic properties modification induced by electronic energy loss in KTaO 3 crystal

Modifications of micro/nanostructure and photoelectric properties under swift ion irradiation (645 MeV Xe 35+ ) of KTaO 3 crystal with varying electronic energy losses (7.2–31.4 keV/nm) and ion velocities (0.18–5.00 MeV/u) have been studied by combining experimental and calculated approaches. The i-TS calculations combined with molecular dynamics simulations are compared with the experimental observations, revealing the inner track fine structures from individual spherical defects to continuous ion tracks with core–shell morphologies, and a quantitative relationship, including the melting (0.42 eV/atom), damage (0.75 eV/atom), and amorphous (1.71 eV/atom) thresholds, is established to successfully predict the inner disorder/amorphous proportions and track damage morphologies. The surface nanostructures of nanohillocks (isolated or partial overlaps) and nanopits (serious overlaps) directly depend on the combined action of the deposited potential and kinetic energies of incident ions, which induce local melting and sublimation in the near-surface region. Owing to the decreased recombination and the increased separation efficiency between electrons and holes, the higher photogenerated charge carrier mobility enhanced the photocurrent effect, further optimizing the photoconductivity performance in Xe 35+ -irradiated KTaO 3 . Therefore, controlled defect engineering using the ion irradiation technique, as an effective strategy, could design tailored nanostructure systems and regulate photoelectric properties, further promoting the development of novel technological applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Efficient Thermal Processes Using Alternating Electromagnetic Field for Methodical and Selective Release of Hydrogen Isotopes

The controlled and selective release of hydrogen isotopes from Lanthanum-Nickel-Aluminum (LANA) materials was achieved using an alternating electromagnetic field (AEMF). Here, in the presence of the AEMF, the rate of desorption for D 2 was faster than for H 2 . In a closed system, compared to control experiments with helium, hydrogen-loaded LANA samples showed a significant increase in pressure which illustrates the desorption of hydrogen from the applied AEMF. An exponential increase in the hydrogen release rate was observed with increased AEMF strength. Additionally, hydrogen release from LANA confined in a subzero environment (-78°C) using an AEMF was demonstrated. These results demonstrate that the LANA material can be heated directly using alternating electromagnetic fields rather than indirectly to rapidly and selectively desorb hydrogen isotopes. The rapid response and difference in desorption kinetics for different hydrogen isotopes in the presence of the alternating electromagnetic fields provide a promising pathway for applications requiring controlled release of hydrogen and separation of its isotopes.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Managing photoinduced electron transfer in AgInS2–CdS heterostructures

Ternary semiconductors such as AgInS2, with their interesting photocatalytic properties, can serve as building blocks to design light harvesting assemblies. The intraband transitions created by the metal ions extend the absorption well beyond the bandgap transition. The interfacial electron transfer of AgInS2 with surface bound ethyl viologen under bandgap and sub-bandgap irradiation as probed by steady state photolysis and transient absorption spectroscopy offers new insights into the participation of conduction band and trapped electrons. Capping AgInS2 with CdS shifts emission maximum to the blue and increases the emission yield as the surface defects are remediated. CdS capping also promotes charge separation as evident from the efficiency of electron transfer to ethyl viologen, which increased from 14% to 29%. The transient absorption measurements that elucidate the kinetic aspects of electron transfer processes in AgInS2 and CdS capped AgInS2 are presented. The improved performance of CdS capped AgInS2 offers new opportunities to employ them as photocatalysts.

Kipkorir, Anthony↗

Optical effect of the contamination of infrared windows by the outgassing of materials in outer space

The products and kinetics of outgassing from S13G paint were studied by using infrared absorption measurements of the material outgassed (using an evaporation cell and vacuum chamber). Two separate long-term experimental depositions from heated samples of the S13G paint were made. Before each experiment, the vacuum chamber and sample holder were carefully cleaned and outgassed to ensure that subsequent deposits on the colled-window were due only to the products evaporated from the sample. Results of experiments are listed and discussed.

Silberman, E.↗