Abstract Nano-second, capillary discharges (nCDs) are unique plasma sources in their ability to sustain high specific energy deposition ω dep approaching 10 eV/molecule in molecular gases. This high energy loading on short timescales produces both high plasma densities and high densities of molecular exited states. These high densities of electrons and excited states interact with each other during the early afterglow through electron collision quenching and associative ionization. In this paper we discuss results from a two-dimensional computational investigation of a nCD sustained in air at a pressure of 28.5 mbar and with a voltage amplitude 20 kV. Discharges were investigated for two circuit configurations—a floating low voltage electrode and with the low voltage electrode connected to ground through a ballast resistor. The first configuration produced a single ionization wave from the high to low voltage electrode. The second produced converging ionization waves beginning at both electrodes. With a decrease of the tube radius, the velocity of the ionization fronts decreased while the shape of the ionization wave changed from the electron density being distributed smoothly in the radial direction, to being hollow shaped where there is a higher electron density near the tube wall. For sufficiently small tubes, the near-wall maxima merge to have the higher density on the axis of the capillary tube. In the early afterglow, the temporal and radial behavior of the N 2 (C 3 Π u ) density is a sensitive function of ω dep due to electron collision quenching. These trends indicate that starting from ω dep ⩾ 0.3 eV/molecule, it is necessary to take into account interactions of electrons with electronically excited species during the discharge and early afterglow.
more »
« less
Open capillary siphons
Flow in the inverted U-shaped tube of a conventional siphon can be established and maintained only if the tube is filled and closed, so that air does not enter. We report on siphons that operate entirely open to the atmosphere by exploiting surface tension effects. Such capillary siphoning is demonstrated by paper tissue that bridges two containers and conveys water from the upper to the lower. We introduce a more controlled system consisting of grooves in a wetting solid, formed here by pressing together hook-shaped metallic rods. The dependence of flux on siphon geometry is systematically measured, revealing behaviour different from the conventional siphon. The flux saturates when the height difference between the two container's free surfaces is large; it also has a strong dependence on the climbing height from the source container's free surface to the apex. A one-dimensional theoretical model is developed, taking into account the capillary pressure due to surface tension, pressure loss due to viscous friction, and driving by gravity. Numerical solutions are in good agreement with experiments, and the model suggests hydraulic interpretations for the observed flux dependence on geometrical parameters. The operating principle and characteristics of capillary siphoning revealed here can inform biological phenomena and engineering applications related to directional fluid transport.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10330494
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Fluid Mechanics
- Volume:
- 932
- ISSN:
- 0022-1120
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Bioprinting technologies rely on the formation of soft gel drops for printing tissue scaffolds and the dynamics of these drops can affect the process. A model is developed to describe the oscillations of a spherical gel drop with finite shear modulus, whose interface is held by surface tension. The governing elastodynamic equations are derived and a solution is constructed using displacement potentials decomposed into a spherical harmonic basis. The resulting nonlinear characteristic equation depends upon two dimensionless numbers, elastocapillary and compressibility, and admits two types of solutions, (i) spheroidal (or shape change) modes and (ii) torsional (rotational) modes. The torsional modes are unaffected by capillarity, whereas the frequency of shape oscillations depend upon both the elastocapillary and compressibility numbers. Two asymptotic dispersion relationships are derived and the limiting cases of the inviscid Rayleigh drop and elastic globe are recovered. For a fixed polar wavenumber, there exists an infinity of radial modes that each transition from an elasticity wave to a capillary wave upon increasing the elastocapillary number. At the transition, there is a qualitative change in the deformation field and a set of recirculation vortices develop at the free surface. Two special modes that concern volume oscillations and translational motion are characterized. A new instability is documented that reflects the balance between surface tension and compressibility effects due to the elasticity of the drop.more » « less
-
The scientific community has been looking for novel approaches to develop nanostructures inspired by nature. However, due to the complicated processes involved, controlling the height of these nanostructures is challenging. Nanoscale capillary force lithography (CFL) is one way to use a photopolymer and alter its properties by exposing it to ultraviolet radiation. Nonetheless, the working mechanism of CFL is not fully understood due to a lack of enough information and first principles. One of these obscure behaviors is the sudden jump phenomenon—the sudden change in the height of the photopolymer depending on the UV exposure time and height of nano-grating (based on experimental data). This paper uses known physical principles alongside artificial intelligence to uncover the unknown physical principles responsible for the sudden jump phenomenon. The results showed promising results in identifying air diffusivity, dynamic viscosity, surface tension, and electric potential as the previously unknown physical principles that collectively explain the sudden jump phenomenon.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)The means by which aquatic animals such as freshwater snails collect food particles distributed on the water surface are of great interest for understanding life at the air–water interface. The apple snail Pomacea canaliculata stabilizes itself just below the air–water interface and manipulates its foot such that it forms a cone-shaped funnel into which an inhalant current is generated, thereby drawing food particles into the funnel to be ingested. We measured the velocity of this feeding current and tracked the trajectories of food particles around and on the snail. Our experiments indicated that the particles were collected via the free surface flow generated by the snail’s undulating foot. The findings were interpreted using a simple model based on lubrication theory, which considered several plausible mechanisms depending on the relative importance of hydrostatic pressure, capillary action and rhythmic surface undulation.more » « less
-
Abstract This work investigates the siphon break phenomenon associated with pipe leakage location. The present study is divided into two parts: (1) an unsteady three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to simulate the pressure head (water level) and discharge in the simulated siphon using the volume-of-fluid (VOF) technique under no-leakage condition and (2) using the model developed in the first part we investigated the siphon break phenomenon associated with pipe leakage location. The calculated results of transient water level and discharge rate at the simulated siphon for the no-leakage condition were in good agreement with the experimental measurements. In addition, the velocity, pressure fields, and phase fractions in the siphon pipe were analyzed in depth. The methodology and findings presented show that leakage above the hydraulic grade line and close to the top inverted U section of the siphon pipe ultimately leads to the siphon breakage, which is not the case for a leakage below the hydraulic grade line. It is also concluded that if leakage is above the hydraulic grade line and the leakage position is far away from the upper horizontal section of the siphon pipe, it may not lead to the immediate siphon breakage as ingested air gets removed with siphoning water, allowing it further time to cause complete siphon breakage.more » « less
An official website of the United States government

