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At least 595 records · Page 33

Control of the interface between (He-3)-rich and (He-4)-rich phases using electric fields

A microgravity dilution refrigerator is considered, and it is shown that electric-field generated forces can be used to control the interface line between (He-3)-rich and (He-3)-poor phases. Fields as high as 13 MV/m are obtained in the present v-shaped geometry which correspond to positioning forces comparable to gravity. Good agreement is found between experimental results on the movements of the interface line and calculations obtained with a two-fluid model.

Israelsson, Ulf E.↗

Millimeter wave transmission studies of YBa2Cu3O7-delta thin films in the 26.5 to 40.0 GHz frequency range

Millimeter wave transmission measurements through YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) thin films on MgO, ZrO2 and LaAlO3 substrates, are reported. The films (approx. 1 micron) were deposited by sequential evaporation and laser ablation techniques. Transition temperatures T sub c, ranging from 89.7 K for the Laser Ablated film on LaAlO3 to approximately 72 K for the sequentially evaporated film on MgO, were obtained. The values of the real and imaginary parts of the complex conductivity, sigma 1 and sigma 2, are obtained from the transmission data, assuming a two fluid model. The BCS approach is used to calculate values for an effective energy gap from the obtained values of sigma sub 1. A range of gap values from 2 DELTA o/K sub B T sub c = 4.19 to 4.35 was obtained. The magnetic penetration depth is evaluated from the deduced values of sigma 2. These results are discussed together with the frequency dependence of the normalized transmission amplitude, P/P sub c, below and above T sub c.

Miranda, F. A.↗

Temperature dependence of penetration depth in thin film niobium

A novel technique is presented which should allow precise determination of the temperature dependence of the inductance, and hence of the penetration depth, of superconducting niobium thin-film structures. Four niobium thin-film stripline inductors are arranged in a bridge configuration, and inductance differences are measured using a potentiometric technique with a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) as the null detector. Numerical simulations of the stripline inductances are presented which allow the performance of the measurement technique to be evaluated. The prediction of the two-fluid model for the penetration-depth temperature dependence is given for reduced temperatures of 0.3 to 0.9. The experimental apparatus and its resolution and accuracy are discussed.

More, N.↗

Subduction zone earthquakes and stress in slabs

Simple viscous fluid models of subducting slabs are used to explain observations of the distribution of earthquakes as a function of depth and the orientation of stress axes of deep (greater than 300 km) and intermediate (70-300 km) earthquakes. Results suggest the following features in the distribution of earthquakes with depth: (1) an exponential decrease from shallow depths down to 250 to 300 km, (2) a minimum near 250 to 300 km, and (3) a deep peak below 300 km. Many shallow subducting slabs show only the first characteristic, while deeper extending regions tend to show all three features, with the deep peak varying in position and intensity. These data, combined with the results on the stress orientations of various-depth earthquakes, are consistent with the existence of a barrier of some sort at 670-km depth and a uniform viscosity mantle above this barrier.

Vassiliou, M. S.↗

Joule-Thomson effect and internal convection heat transfer in turbulent He II flow

The temperature rise in highly turbulent He II flowing in tubing was measured in the temperature range 1.6-2.1 K. The effect of internal convection heat transport on the predicted temperature profiles is calculated from the two-fluid model with mutual friction. The model predictions are in good agreement with the measurements, provided that the pressure gradient term is retained in the expression for internal convection heat flow.

Walstrom, P. L.↗

Collisional and inertial dynamics of the ionospheric interchange instability

The dynamical properties and spectral characteristics of the ionospheric interchange instability in the collisional and inertial regimes are investigated numerically and analytically, using a two-dimensional fluid model. This model, which describes the collisional and inertial dynamics of the F region ionosphere, is similar to the models of Ott (1978) and Kintner and Seyler (1985). By numerically integrating the model equations, the nonlinear evolution of three interchange unstable configurations in the collisional and inertial regimes are followed, and their dynamical and spectral properties are studied. The solutions indicate that the dynamical properties of a collision-dominated regime are distinctly different from those of an inertia-dominated regime. The qualitative characteristics of a plasma bubble in both regime-types are described.

Zargham, S.↗

Phase conjugation by four-wave mixing in inhomogeneous plasmas

The effects of density, temperature, and velocity gradients on four-wave mixing (FWM) in a plasma are investigated. A fluid model is used in which the stimulated Brillouin terms are included, but pump depletion is neglected. The steady state phase conjugate reflectivity and signal transmission coefficients are calculated and discussed for both degenerate and resonant FWM. The substantial effects of inhomogeneity on the use of FWM as a plasma diagnostic are discussed.

Williams, Edward A.↗

Microwave conductivity of laser ablated YBaCuO superconducting films and its relation to microstrip transmission line

The discovery of high temperature superconductor oxides has raised the possibility of a new class of millimeter and microwave devices operating at temperatures considerably higher than liquid helium temperatures. Therefore, materials properties such as conductivity, current density, and sheet resistance as a function of temperature and frequency, possible anisotropies, moisture absorption, thermal expansion, and others, have to be well characterized and understood. The millimeter wave response was studied of laser ablated YBa2Cu3O(7-x)/LaAlO3 thin films as a function of temperature and frequency. In particular, the evaluation of their microwave conductivity was emphasized, since knowledge of this parameter provides a basis for the derivation of other relevant properties of these superconducting oxides, and for using them in the fabrication of actual passive circuits. The microwave conductivity for these films was measured at frequencies from 26.5 to 40.0 GHz, in the temperature range from 20 to 300 K. The values of the conductivity are obtained from the millimeter wave power transmitted through the films, using a two fluid model.

Bhasin, K. B.↗

Kinetic equilibria of plasma shear layers

The analysis of plasma beam and shear problems in magnetic fields is usually based on a hydromagnetic fluid model. In a low-density collisionless plasma, however, the kinetic effects of the plasma, such as finite Larmor radius effects, are not yet clearly understood. In this paper, the kinetic equilibria of plasma shears in a uniform and fixed magnetic field, with full ion motion, are discussed by solving the Vlasov equation with a given electric field and drift velocity. In this model, the ion density profile through the plasma shear layer is quite different from the one predicted by a hydromagnetic model. As a result of a complicated ion gyromotion through the shear layer, single- and double-humped ion density profiles are obtained. The dependence on the temperature and the strength of the shear will be discussed. The results show a significant difference between positive and negative shears.

Cai, D.↗

Convective heat flow in space cryogenics plugs - Critical and moderate He II heat flux densities

Plug flow rates of entropy, heat and normal fluid in phase separators and in zero net mass flow systems are, to some extent, quite similar. A simplified analysis of critical conditions is presented in agreement with data trends. A critical temperature gradient arises on the basis of the He II two-fluid model at the stability limit constraining the thermohydrodynamics of the system. Thus, the question of critical thermodynamic fluctuations associated with nucleation versus the possibility of critical gradients in externally imposed parameters is answered in favor of the latter route toward turbulence. Furthermore, a similarity equation is presented which incorporates size dependent rates for moderate heat flow densities observed in experiments.

Yuan, S. W. K.↗

Characterizing He 2 flow through porous materials using counterflow data

Proposed space applications, such as the cooling of infrared and x ray telescopes, have generated substantial interest in the behavior of He(2) flowing in porous materials. For design purposes, classical porous media correlations and room temperature data are often used to obtain order of magnitude estimates of expected pressure drops, while the attendant temperature differences are either ignored or estimated using smooth tube correlations. A more accurate alternative to this procedure is suggested by an empirical extension of the two fluid models. It is shown that four empirical parameters are necessary to describe the pressure and temperature differences induced by He(2) flow through a porous sample. The three parameters required to determine pressure differences are measured in counterflow and found to compare favorably with those for isothermal flow. The fourth parameter, the Gorter-Mellink constant, differs substantially from smooth tube values. It is concluded that parameter values determined from counterflow can be used to predict pressure and temperature differences in a variety of flows to an accuracy of about + or - 20 percent.

Vansciver, Steven W.↗

Computational astrophysical fluid dynamics

The field of astrophysical fluid dynamics (AFD) is described as an emerging discipline which derives historically from both the theory of stellar evolution and space plasma physics. The fundamental physical assumption behind AFD is that fluid equations of motion accurately describe the evolution of plasmas on scales that are large in comparison with particle interaction length scales. Particular attention is given to purely fluid models of large-scale astrophysical plasmas. The role of computer simulation in AFD research is also highlighted and a suite of general-purpose application codes for AFD research is discussed. The codes are called ZEUS-2D and ZEUS-3D and solve the equations of AFD in two and three dimensions, respectively, in several coordinate geometries for general initial and boundary conditions. The topics of bipolar outflows from protostars, galactic superbubbles and supershells, and extragalactic radio sources are addressed.

Norman, Michael L.↗

Linear theory of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the low-latitude boundary layer

The feasibility is examined of establishing characteristic profiles across the magnetospheric low-latitude boundary layer for the Kelvin-Helmholtz mode so that these profiles can be compared with satellite observations or a latitudinal chain of ground stations. An anisotropic collisionless fluid model is used instead of conventional MHD, and the finite thickness of the boundary layer and the thickness and position of the current layer are taken into account. The instability is found to be enhanced by a decrease in the thickness of the shear layer and of the current layer and by the proximity of the 'current layer' to the outer edge of the shear layer. The velocity threshold for the onset of instability is insensitive to the thickness. Characteristic profiles of the variation of plasma and field parameters across the boundary are obtained, and the importance of parameters specifying the current layer position and thickness is demonstrated.

Rajaram, R.↗

Simulation of high-speed (orbital) releases of electron attachment materials in the ionosphere

The dynamics of ionospheric plasma irregularities produced by the release of electron attachment materials at orbital velocities across the geomagnetic field is studied. A two-dimensional electrostatic fluid model which includes electron attachment and mutual neutralization chemistry, self-consistent electric fields, and three-species transport is developed. Numerical simulations are performed to study the behavior at early and at late times after the release. At early times, of the order of or less than the attachment material neutral collision time, the negative ion cloud produced by the release may structure owing to the shear in the E x B velocity within the cloud. At high altitudes the cloud may bifurcate and form vortices on the back. At lower altitudes where ion-neutral collisional effects dominate, this structuring is suppressed. At late times, after a plasma depletion has formed due to neutralization chemistry, the cloud structures by the E x B interchange instability. Depending on the release altitude, the depletion structures by the collisional or inertial limit of this instability.

Scales, W. A.↗

Field-aligned dynamics of chemically induced perturbations to the ionosphere

Ionospheric modification using photochemically reactive vapors is studied with a one-dimensional, multiion, fluid model of plasma flow along magnetic field lines. The magnitudes of ion and electron density changes are determined by considering both chemical processes (i.e., photoionization, ion-molecule reactions, dissociative recombination, electron attachment) and transport processes (i.e., multispecies diffusion, electric currents, ambipolar electric fields). The numerical treatment in the model is not specific to any type of release or any interaction chemistry. It has been used to simulate releases of Ba, CO2, and CF3Br in the ionosphere, but generalization to other species may be easily accomplished. The results of the calculations are found to be in good agreement with experimental observations. The feasibility of modifying the parallel current paths in the auroral F region is examined.

Bernhardt, P. A.↗

Characterizing He II flow through porous materials using counterflow data

Proposed space applications, such as the cooling of infrared and x ray telescopes, have generated substantial interest in the behavior of He II flowing in porous materials. For design purposes, classical porous media correlations and room temperature data are often used to obtain order of magnitude estimates of expected pressure drops, while the attendant temperature differences are either ignored or estimated using smooth tube correlations. A more accurate alternative to this procedure is suggested by an empirical extension of the two fluid model. It is shown that four empirical parameters are necessary to describe the pressure and temperature differences induced by He II flow through a porous sample. The three parameters required to determine pressure differences are measured in counterflow and found to compare favorably with those for isothermal flow. The fourth parameter, the Gorter-Mellink constant, differs substantially from smooth tube values. It is concluded that parameter values determined from counterflow can be used to predict pressure and temperature differences in a variety of flows to an accuracy of about + or - 20 pct.

Maddocks, J. R., Jr.↗

Electrical impedance imaging in two-phase, gas-liquid flows: 1. Initial investigation

The determination of interfacial area density in two-phase, gas-liquid flows is one of the major elements impeding significant development of predictive tools based on the two-fluid model. Currently, these models require coupling of liquid and vapor at interfaces using constitutive equations which do not exist in any but the most rudimentary form. Work described herein represents the first step towards the development of Electrical Impedance Computed Tomography (EICT) for nonintrusive determination of interfacial structure and evolution in such flows.

Lin, J. T.↗

Microwave conductivity of laser ablated YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) superconducting films and its relation to microstrip transmission line performance

The discovery of high temperature superconductor oxides has raised the possibility of a new class of millimeter and microwave devices operating at temperatures considerably higher than liquid helium temperatures. Therefore, materials properties such as conductivity, current density, and sheet resistance as a function of temperature and frequency, possible anisotropies, moisture absorption, thermal expansion, and others, have to be well characterized and understood. The millimeter wave response of laser ablated YBa2Cu3O(7-delta)/LaAlO3 thin films was studied as a function of temperature and frequency. In particular, the evaluation of their microwave conductivity was emphasized, since knowledge of this parameter provides a basis for the derivation of other relevant properties of these superconducting oxides, and for using them in the fabrication of actual passive circuits. The microwave conductivity for these films was measured at frequencies from 26.5 to 40.0 GHz, in the temperature range from 20 to 300 K. The values of the conductivity are obtained from the millimeter wave power transmitted through the films, using a two fluid model.

Bhasin, K. B.↗