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At least 127 records · Page 7

Rapid measurement of RH-dependent aerosol hygroscopic growth using a humidity-controlled fast integrated mobility spectrometer (HFIMS)

Abstract. The ability of aerosol particles to uptake water (hygroscopic growth) is an important determinant of aerosol optical properties and radiative effects. Aerosol hygroscopic growth is traditionally measured by humidified tandem differential mobility analyzers (HTDMA), in which size-selected dry particles are exposed to elevated relative humidity (RH), and the size distribution of humidified particles is subsequently measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer. As a scanning mobility particle sizer can measure only one particle size at a time, HTDMA measurements are time consuming, and ambient measurements are often limited to a single RH level. Pinterich et al. (2017b) showed that fast measurements of aerosol hygroscopic growth are possible using a humidity-controlled fast integrated mobility spectrometer (HFIMS). In HFIMS, the size distribution of humidified particles is rapidly captured by a water-based fast integrated mobility spectrometer (WFIMS), leading to a factor of ∼10 increase in measurement time resolution. In this study we present a prototype HFIMS that extends fast hygroscopic growth measurements to a wide range of atmospherically relevant RH values, allowing for more comprehensive characterizations of aerosol hygroscopic growth. A dual-channel humidifier consisting of two humidity conditioners in parallel is employed such that aerosol RH can be quickly stepped among different RH levels by sampling from alternating conditioners. The measurement sequence is also optimized to minimize the transition time between different particle sizes. The HFIMS is capable of measuring aerosol hygroscopic growth of six particle diameters under five RH levels ranging from 20 % to 85 % (30 separate measurements) every 25 min. The performance of this HFIMS is characterized and validated using laboratory-generated ammonium sulfate aerosol standards. Measurements of ambient aerosols are shown to demonstrate the capability of HFIMS to capture the rapid evolution of aerosol hygroscopic growth and its dependence on both size and RH.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Top quark forward-backward asymmetry in the large invariant mass region

The forward-backward asymmetry in top-pair production that was observed in 2008 gets a boost in a recent CDF publication. Not only has the forward-backward asymmetry been further confirmed, but also distributional preferences are shown. Strikingly, the forward-backward asymmetry is the most sizable in the large M{sub tt} invariant mass region and in the large rapidity difference |{Delta}y| region. Here we used our previously proposed t-channel exchanged W{sup '} boson to explain the new observations. We show that a new particle exchanged in the t channel generically gives rise to such observations. Furthermore, we show that the proposed W{sup '} can be directly produced in association with a top quark at the Tevatron and the LHC. We perform a signal-background analysis and show that such a W{sup '} is readily observed at the Tevatron with a 10 fb{sup -1} luminosity and at the LHC-7 with just a 100 pb{sup -1} luminosity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Mass accommodation and gas–particle partitioning in secondary organic aerosols: dependence on diffusivity, volatility, particle-phase reactions, and penetration depth

Abstract. Mass accommodation is an essential process for gas–particle partitioning of organic compounds in secondary organic aerosols (SOA). The mass accommodation coefficient is commonly described as the probability of a gas molecule colliding with the surface to enter the particle phase. It is often applied, however, without specifying if and how deep a molecule has to penetrate beneath the surface to be regarded as being incorporated into the condensed phase (adsorption vs. absorption). While this aspect is usually not critical for liquid particles with rapid surface–bulk exchange, it can be important for viscous semi-solid or glassy solid particles to distinguish and resolve the kinetics of accommodation at the surface, transfer across the gas–particle interface, and further transport into the particle bulk. For this purpose, we introduce a novel parameter: an effective mass accommodation coefficient αeff that depends on penetration depth and is a function of surface accommodation coefficient, volatility, bulk diffusivity, and particle-phase reaction rate coefficient. Application of αeff in the traditional Fuchs–Sutugin approximation of mass-transport kinetics at the gas–particle interface yields SOA partitioning results that are consistent with a detailed kinetic multilayer model (kinetic multilayer model of gas–particle interactions in aerosols and clouds, KM-GAP; Shiraiwa et al., 2012) and two-film model solutions (Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry, MOSAIC; Zaveri et al., 2014) but deviate substantially from earlier modeling approaches not considering the influence of penetration depth and related parameters. For highly viscous or semi-solid particles, we show that the effective mass accommodation coefficient remains similar to the surface accommodation coefficient in the case of low-volatility compounds, whereas it can decrease by several orders of magnitude in the case of semi-volatile compounds. Such effects can explain apparent inconsistencies between earlier studies deriving mass accommodation coefficients from experimental data or from molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings challenge the approach of traditional SOA models using the Fuchs–Sutugin approximation of mass transfer kinetics with a fixed mass accommodation coefficient, regardless of particle phase state and penetration depth. The effective mass accommodation coefficient introduced in this study provides an efficient new way of accounting for the influence of volatility, diffusivity, and particle-phase reactions on SOA partitioning in process models as well as in regional and global air quality models. While kinetic limitations may not be critical for partitioning into liquid SOA particles in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), the effects are likely important for amorphous semi-solid or glassy SOA in the free and upper troposphere (FT–UT) as well as in the PBL at low relative humidity and low temperature.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Experimental measurement of the orbital paths of particles sedimenting within a rotating viscous fluid as influenced by gravity

Measurements were taken of the path of a simulated typical tissue segment or 'particle' within a rotating fluid as a function of gravitational strength, fluid rotation rate, particle sedimentation rate, and particle initial position. Parameters were examined within the useful range for tissue culture in the NASA rotating wall culture vessels. The particle moves along a nearly circular path through the fluid (as observed from the rotating reference frame of the fluid) at the same speed as its linear terminal sedimentation speed for the external gravitational field. This gravitationally induced motion causes an increasing deviation of the particle from its original position within the fluid for a decreased rotational rate, for a more rapidly sedimenting particle, and for an increased gravitational strength. Under low gravity conditions (less than 0.1 G), the particle's motion through the fluid and its deviation from its original position become negligible. Under unit gravity conditions, large distortions (greater than 0.25 inch) occur even for particles of slow sedimentation rate (less than 1.0 cm/sec). The particle's motion is nearly independent of the particle's initial position. Comparison with mathematically predicted particle paths show that a significant error in the mathematically predicted path occurs for large particle deviations. This results from a geometric approximation and numerically accumulating error in the mathematical technique.

Wolf, David A.↗

Top-pair forward-backward asymmetry beyond next-to-leading order

We make use of recent results in effective theory and higher-order perturbative calculations to improve the theoretical predictions of the QCD contribution to the top-quark pair production forward-backward asymmetry at the Tevatron. In particular, we supplement the fixed-order next-to-leading order calculation with higher-order corrections from soft-gluon resummation at next-to next-to-leading order accuracy performed in two different kinematic schemes, which allows us to make improved predictions for the asymmetry in the pp and tt rest frames as a function of the rapidity and invariant mass of the tt pair. Furthermore, we provide binned results which can be compared with the recent measurements of the forward-backward asymmetry in events with a large pair invariant mass or rapidity difference. Finally, we calculate at NLO+NNLL order the top-quark charge asymmetry at the LHC as a function of a lower rapidity cutoff for the top and antitop quarks.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Physical chemistry of the H2SO4/HNO3/H2O system - Implications for polar stratospheric clouds

Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) play a key role in stratospheric ozone depletion. Surface-catalyzed reactions on PSC particles generate chlorine compounds that photolyze readily to yield chlorine radicals, which in turn destroy ozone very efficiently. The most prevalent PSCs form at temperatures several degrees above the ice frost point and are believed to consist of HNO3 hydrates; however, their formation mechanism is unclear. Results of laboratory experiments are presented which indicate that the background stratospheric H2SO4/H2O aerosols provide an essential link in this mechanism: These liquid aerosols absorb significant amounts of HNO3 vapor, leading most likely to the crystallization of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT). The frozen particles then grow to form PSCs by condensation of additional amounts of HNO3 and H2O vapor. Furthermore, reaction probability measurements reveal that the chlorine radical precursors are formed readily at polar stratospheric temperatures not just on NAT and ice crystals, but also on liquid H2SO4 solutions and on solid H2SO4 hydrates. These results imply that the chlorine activation efficiency of the aerosol particles increases rapidly as the temperature approaches the ice frost point regardless of the phase or composition of the particles.

Molina, M. J.↗

Catalytic reactions in heavy-ion collisions

We discuss a new type of reactions of a {phi}-meson production on hyperons, {pi}Y {yields} {phi}Y and antikaons -KN {yields} {phi}Y. These reactions are not suppressed according to Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule and can be a new efficient source of {phi} mesons in a nucleus-nucleus collision. We discuss how these reactions can affect the centrality dependence and the rapidity distributions of the {phi} yield.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Silicon production in an aerosol reactor

An aerosol reactor system was developed in which large particles of silicon can be grown by silane pyrolysis. To grow particles to sizes larger than one micron, vapor deposition must be used to grow a relatively small number of seed particles. Suppression of nucleation is achieved by limiting the rate of gas phase chemical reactions such that the condensible products of the gas phase chemical reactions diffuse to the surface of the seed particles as rapidly as they are produced. This prevents high degrees of supersaturation and runaway nucleation during the growth process. Particles on the order of 10 microns were grown repeatedly with the present aersol reactor. The nucleation controlled aerosol reactor is, therefore, a suitable system for the production of powders that can readily be separated from the gas by aerodynamic means.

Wu, J. J.↗

Regimes of the Pomeron and its intrinsic entropy

We suggest that the perturbative and non-perturbative descriptions of the Pomeron can be viewed as complementary descriptions of different phases in the Pomeron phase diagram, with a phase boundary where the proper description of the produced systems is “string balls”. Their intrinsic entropy is calculated and turned out to be the same, as the recently reported perturbative entanglement entropy. The distribution of large multiplicities stemming from the string balls is also wide, with its moments close to those reported for hadrons in pp collisions at the LHC. At low-x, the quantum string is so entangled that sufficiently weak string self-attraction can cause it to turn to a string ball dual to a black hole. We suggest that low-x saturation occurs when the density of wee-strings reaches the Bekenstein bound, with a proton size that freezes with increasing rapidity. Some of these observations maybe checked at the future eIC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

PHENIX Measurement of Parity-Violating Single Spin Asymmetry in W Production in p+p Collisions at 500 GeV

The flavor-separated polarized parton distribution functions for light quarks and anti-quarks in the proton can be studied in the production of W bosons in p+p collisions. The Ws are produced in processes like u+d-bar{yields}W{sup +} and u-bar+d{yields}W{sup -} and we observe the lepton (an electron or muon) from the decay channel W{sup {+-}}{yields}l{sup {+-}}{nu}. The electron energy spectrum from W decays measured with an integrated luminosity of approximately 10 pb{sup -1} will be shown, with a measurement of the electron single spin asymmetry in central rapidity.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Rapidity long range correlations, parton percolation and color glass condensate

The similarities between string percolation and Glasma results are emphasized, special attention being paid to rapidity long range correlations, ridge structure and elliptic flow. As the string density of high multiplicity pp collisions at LHC energies has similar value as the corresponding to Au-Au semi-central collisions at RHIC we also expect in pp collisions long rapidity correlations and ridge structure, extended more than 8 units in rapidity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Photochemical Aging Alters Secondary Organic Aerosol Partitioning Behavior

Organic aerosol is the largest fraction of the atmospheric non-refractory aerosol mass and has a significant impact on climate, visibility, and human health. A significant portion of organic aerosol is secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which forms when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are oxidized and the reaction products partition to the particle phase. SOA formation and aging have been described using semi-volatile partitioning theory, and a typical assumption invoked is that gas-particle partitioning rapidly reaches equilibrium. However, several studies have called into question whether traditional equilibrium assumptions are valid, either due to particle-phase diffusion limitations, particle-phase reactions, or liquid/liquid phase separation and immiscibility of organic phases. Here, we investigate the ability of partitioning theory to describe laboratory SOA formation experiments using SOA mass and yield as the evaluation metric. We conduct two types of experiments; co-condensation experiments in which isoprene and a-pinene are simultaneously oxidized to form SOA, and sequential condensation experiments in which fresh isoprene SOA is exposed to aged, pre-existing isoprene- or a-pinene-derived SOA particles. In the co-condensation experiments, partitioning theory successfully predicted the time-dependent SOA concentrations without invoking diffusion limitations or organic phase separation. However, in the sequential condensation experiments, yield analysis showed that fresh isoprene SOA did not partition into either the aged a-pinene or aged isoprene SOA particles over the 4 hour experimental timescale, even at relative humidity as high as 85%. This study shows that common assumptions regarding SOA gas-particle partitioning are accurate for fresh SOA, but that these assumptions break down after SOA has been photochemically aged for modest amounts of time (~1 day). These results have important consequences for modeling SOA formation and may help to resolve some seemingly divergent conclusions regarding diffusion limitations that exist in the literature.

Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA), gas/particle part↗

Modeling the influence of string collective phenomena on the long range rapidity correlations between the transverse momentum and the multiplicities

The long-range rapidity correlations between the multiplicities (n-n) and the transverse momentum and the multiplicity (pT-n) of charge particles are analyzed in the framework of the simple string inspired model with two types of sources. The sources of the first type correspond to the initial strings formed in a hadronic collision. The sources of the second type imitate the appearance of the emitters of a new kind resulting from interaction (fusion) of the initial strings. The model enabled to describe effectively the influence of the string fusion effects on the strength both the n-n and the pT-n correlations. It was found that in the region, where the process of string fusion comes into play, the calculation results predict the non-monotonic behaviour of the n-n and pT-n correlation coefficients with the growth of the mean number of initial strings, i.e. with the increase of the collision centrality. It was shown also that the increase of the event-by-event fluctuation in the number of primary strings leads to the change of the pT-n correlation sign from negative to positive. One can try to search these signatures of string collective phenomena in interactions of various nuclei at different energies varying the class of collision centrality and its width.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Rapidity and centrality dependence of particle production for identified hadrons in Cu + Cu collisions at s NN = 200 GeV

The BRAHMS collaboration has measured transverse momentum spectra of pions, kaons, protons, and antiprotons at rapidities 0 and 3 for Cu+Cu collisions at s NN = 200 GeV. As the collisions become more central the collective radial flow increases while the temperature of kinetic freeze-out decreases. The temperature is lower and the radial flow weaker at forward rapidity. Pion and kaon yields with transverse momenta between 1.5 and 2.5 GeV/c are suppressed for central collisions relative to scaled p + p collisions. This suppression, which increases as the collisions become more central, is consistent with jet quenching models and is also present with comparable magnitude at forward rapidity. At such rapidities, initial state effects may also be present and persistence of the meson suppression to high rapidity may reflect a combination of jet quenching and nuclear shadowing. In conclusion, the ratio of protons to mesons increases as the collisions become more central and is largest at forward rapidities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Heavy quark production in photon-Pomeron interactions at high energies

The diffractive heavy quark cross sections are estimated considering photon-Pomeron interactions in hadron - hadron at RHIC, Tevatron, and CERN LHC energies. We assume the validity of the hard diffractive factorization and calculate the charm and bottom total cross sections and rapidity distributions using the diffractive parton distribution functions of the Pomeron obtained by the H1 Collaboration at DESY-HERA. Such processes are sensitive to the gluon content of the Pomeron at high energies and are a good place to constrain the behavior of this distribution. We also compare our predictions with those obtained using the dipole model, and verify that these processes are a good test of the different mechanisms for heavy quarks diffractive production at hadron colliders.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Conversion of biowastes to biomaterial: An innovative waste management approach

Highlights: • Study demonstrates that hydroxyapatite can be potentially produced from biowastes. • Eggshells and synthetic urine was used for hydroxyapatite synthesis. • Solution pH and stirring influenced hydroxyapatite formation. - Abstract: The study suggests that biowastes (eggshells and urine) can be potentially used as precursors to produce hydroxyapatite (HAp) biomaterial in a simple chemical process. A batch reactor was used in this work to produce HAp powder from eggshells and synthetic urine (SU). Fine powder of calcined eggshells was dissolved in water to produce aqueous calcium hydroxide. The solution was then mixed with concentrated SU in stoichiometric amounts corresponding to HAp (Ca/P molar ratio ∼ 1.67). The initial pH of the solution was alkaline (pH ∼ 8.5) and particles formed rapidly with slight mixing. Stirring the turbid solution for a longer period (72 h) did not show any visual change, but the particle size decreased slightly. When the pH of the solution was adjusted to 5, the solution was initially clear, but particle formation was apparent after 48 h stirring. It was noticed that at a slow stirring speed (100 rpm), film formation occurred on the solution, whereas at a higher stirring speed (500 rpm) no such film formation was observed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the particles (formed at 500 rpm) were an amorphous calcium phosphate (CaP). Alkaline treatment at 80 °C for 2 h converted the amorphous CaP into HAp. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of the particles (formed at 500 rpm) suggested that they are calcium-deficient HAp (Ca/P molar ratio 1.58).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Baryon deceleration and partonic plasma creation by strong chromofields in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

Strong chromofields generated at early stages of ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions may explain not only creation of the quark-gluon plasma but also collective deceleration of net baryons. This is demonstrated by solving classical equations of motion for baryonic slabs under the action of a time-dependent chromofield. We have studied sensitivity of the slab trajectories and their final rapidities to the initial strength and decay time of the chromofield, as well as to the back reaction of the produced plasma. By proper choice of the initial chromofield energy density we can reproduce significant baryon stopping, an average rapidity loss of about two units, observed for Au + Au collisions at RHIC. Using a Bjorken-like hydrodynamical model with the particle production source, we also study the evolution of partonic plasma produced as the result of the chromofield decay. Due to the delayed formation and expansion of plasma its maximum energy density is significantly lower than the initial energy density of the chromofield. It is shown that the fluctuations of the chromofield due to the stochastic distribution of color charges help to populate the midrapidity region in the net-baryon distribution. To fit the midrapidity data we need the chromofields with initial energy densities in the range of 30 to 60 GeV/fm{sup 3}. Predictions of baryon stopping for Pb + Pb collisions at LHC energies are made.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗