The Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) research at Texas A and M University is concerned with the experimental characterization of non-thermal and non-chemical equilibrium systems in hypersonic (Mach greater than 5) flowfields using experimental diagnostics, and is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Chemistry and Aerospace Engineering departments. Hypersonic flight conditions often lead to non-thermochemical equilibrium (NTE) state of air, where the timescale of reaching a single (equilibrium) Boltzmann temperature is much longer than the timescale of the flow, meaning that certain molecular modes such as vibrational modes, may be much more excited than the translational or rotational modes of the molecule leading to thermal-nonequilibrium. A nontrivial amount of energy is therefore contained within the vibrational mode, and this energy cascades into the flow as thermal energy, affecting flow properties through the process of various vibrational-vibrational (V-V) and vibrational-translational (V-T) energy exchanges between the flow species. The research is a fundamental experimental study of these NTE systems and involves the application of advanced laser and optical diagnostics towards hypersonic flowfields. The research is broken down into two main categories: the application and adaptation of existing laser and optical techniques towards characterization of NTE, and the development of new molecular tagging velocimetry techniques which have been demonstrated in an NTE flowfield, but may be extended towards a variety of flowfields.

Transport of solid particles in a slit virtual impactor has been analyzed using visualization techniques. Particle trajectories were observed using laser-induced fluorescence of monodisperse particles seeded in the virtual impactor flow. It was observed from these trajectories that for smaller inertia particles essentially followed the flow streamlines, whereas higher inertia particles tend to deflect from their initial streamlines. These transport characteristics were used to determine particle collection efficiency curves, and the percentage of defect particle transmission, particles transmitted to the major flow that are well beyond the experimentally determined 50% cutoff. Defect percentages were found to be in good agreement with those based on a local stokes number approach, an analytical model using a converging flow velocity profile. It was hypothesized that these defects occur by virtue of larger particles passing through the near wall flow region and consequently transported to the major flow. The trajectories of such defect occurrences clearly show that these particles originated in the near wall region. Performance at higher mass loadings was evaluated using a background dust matrix generated by a turntable aerosol generator. At high mass loadings, clogging of the slit led to the deterioration of the impactor's performance. The time taken to clog the silt was estimated by modeling the slit edge as a single filter fiber of rectangular cross section with the primary mechanism of filtration being interception and was found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. Elimination of defect transmission and clogging would be possible by the provision of a sheath airflow, which ensures that the near wall regions are free of particles.

Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Untersuchung der Methode der Laserinduzierten Plasmaspektroskopie (LIPS) zur Bestimmung des Aufmischungsgrades ([Eta]) in durch Laserstrahl-Präzisionsauftragschweißen (LAP) hergestellten Beschichtungen. Grund- und Zusatzwerkstoff müssen sich hierbei in ihrer Elementzusammensetzung voneinander unterscheiden. Als Substratmaterial diente unlegierter Baustahl, als Zusatzwerkstoff wurde Stellit 21 eingesetzt. [Eta] stellt eine wichtige Qualitätskenngröße dar und kann nach vorheriger Kalibrierung des LIPS-Messsystems sowohl offline als auch online detektiert werden. Der Aufmischungsgrad korreliert mit dem detektierten Emissionslinienverhältnis. Im untersuchten Fall besteht in guter Näherung ein linearer Zusammenhang zwischen beiden Größen. Die Vorteile von LIPS gegenüber anderen Verfahren liegen insbesondere in der berührungslosen Analyse und der entfallenden Probenpräparation. Prinzipiell lässt sich das Vorgehen auf andere Werkstoffsysteme übertragen. Das verwendete LISP-Messsystem kann in den Fertigungsprozess integriert werden und steht als Technologiemodul für eine qualifizierte Überwachung des Aufmischungsgrades beim LAP-Prozess zur Verfügung.

Interactions between an intense laser pulse and cluster targets are investigated using the recent experimental results of the cluster fusion experiments on the Texas Petawatt Laser (TPW). We achieved about 2x10⁷ DD fusion neutrons per shot on the TPW by optimizing the laser and gas jet parameters. A few different types of cluster targets were used on the TPW including deuterium clusters, deuterated methane clusters, deuterium cluster + helium-3 mixture, and deuterated methane cluster + helium-3 mixture. We designed our own neutron detectors and proton detectors for the measurements of the fusion yields. The calibration method of neutron detectors is described in detail. Through the yield measurements of the 2.45 MeV neutrons from the DD fusion reactions and 14.7 MeV protons from the D-³He fusion reactions in the deuterium-helium-3 mixture target, we successfully measured the ion temperature of the fusion plasma at the time of the fusion reactions. / text

We have investigated the use of deep UV laser induced fluorescence for the sensitive detection and spectroscopic lifetime studies of terbium doped dipicolinic acid (DPA-Tb) and used this to study the optical characteristics of DPA which is a chemical surrounding most bacterial spores. Background absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, and Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) spectra were made of the DPA-Tb complex, using both fixed 266 nm wavelength and tunable (220 nm -- 280 nm) UV laser excitations. Of importance, the fluorescence lifetimes of the four main fluorescence peaks (488 nm, 543 nm, 581 nm, and 618 nm) of the DPA-Tb complex have been measured for the first time to our knowledge. The lifetimes of all the fluorescing lines have been measured as a function of DPA-Tb concentration, solvent pH, and solvent composition, including that for the weakest fluorescing line of DPA-Tb at 618 nm. In addition, a new spectroscopic lifetime measurement technique, which we call "Transient Fluorescence Spectroscopy" was developed. In this technique, a weak, quasi-CW, amplitude modulated UV laser (8.5 kHz) was used to measure the lifetimes of the fluorescence lines, and yields insight into energy transfer and excitation lifetimes within the system. This technique is especially useful when a high power laser is not either available or not suitable. In the latter case, this would be when a high power pulsed deep-UV laser could produce bleaching or destruction of the biological specimen. In addition, this technique simulated the excitation and fluorescence emission of the DPA-Tb using a 4-level energy model, and solved the dynamic transient rate equations to predict the temporal behavior of the DPA-Tb emitted fluorescence. Excellent agreement between the experiments and the simulation were found. This technique has the potential to provide a more accurate value for the fluorescence lifetime values. In addition, with the use of asymmetric excitation waveforms, the dynamic transient rate equation analysis may allow for detailed studies of selected transfer mechanisms in a wide range of other spectroscopic applications including rare-earth solid-state lasing materials and biological samples.

Η ολοένα αυξανόμενη ανάγκη για γρήγορες, αξιόπιστες και εύκολες στην χρήση αναλυτικές τεχνικές, οι οποίες μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν εντός και εκτός εργαστηρίου, έδωσε ιδιαίτερη ώθηση για ανάπτυξη τεχνικών που να πληρούν τις παραπάνω προϋποθέσεις. Η Φασματοσκοπία Πλάσματος Επαγόμενου από laser (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy-LIBS), λόγω των σημαντικών της πλεονεκτημάτων, έχει προταθεί ως μια τεχνική για στοιχειακή ανάλυση υλικών, ανεξαρτήτως της κατάστασής τους (στερεή, υγρή ή αέρια). Κατά την τεχνική LIBS, η ατομοποίηση και η διέγερση των ατόμων του υλικού γίνεται σε ένα στάδιο, ενώ δεν απαιτείται προετοιμασία του δείγματος. Έτσι, τα τελευταία χρόνια η τεχνική LIBS είναι η πιο διαδεδομένη αναλυτική τεχνική βασισμένη στα laser. Στην παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή η τεχνική LIBS εφαρμόζεται σε δυο διαφορετικά πεδία έρευνας: στις φλόγες υδρογονανθράκων-αέρα και στην μελέτη πολυμερικών/πλαστικών δειγμάτων. Στις φλόγες υδρογονανθράκων-αέρα, η φασματοσκοπία πλάσματος επαγόμενου από laser χρησιμοποιήθηκε για τον καθορισμό του λόγου ισοδυναμίας (φ), ο οποίος εκφράζει την αναλογία καύσιμου προς οξειδωτικό μέσο, σε φλόγες αέριων και υγρών υδρογονανθράκων μέσω των λόγων των εντάσεων των φασματικών γραμμών του υδρογόνου, H, οξυγόνου, O, και άνθρακα, C. Μέσω αυτής της συσχέτισης, πραγματοποιήθηκαν χωρικά αναλυμένες μετρήσεις του φ σε προ-αναμεμιγμένες φλόγες υδρογονανθράκων-αέρα διαφορετικής γεωμετρίας, οι οποίες παρείχαν σημαντικές πληροφορίες για την δομή της φλόγας. Επιπλέον, η τεχνική LIBS χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την ανίχνευση υδρατμών στον αέρα και σε φλόγες υδρογονανθράκων-αέρα και έγινε φανερό πως οι υδρατμοί προκαλούν σημαντικές αλλαγές στην δομή και τα χαρακτηριστικά της φλόγας, ενώ μέσω των φασματικών γραμμών του υδρογόνου, H, οξυγόνου, O, και αζώτου, Ν, οι υδρατμοί μπορούν να καθοριστούν ποιοτικά. Σε ότι αφορά τα πολυμερικά/πλαστικά δείγματα, η τεχνική LIBS μπορεί να αποτελέσει μια σημαντική μέθοδο για την ταυτοποίηση πολυμερικών δειγμάτων, οπότε στην συνέχεια, έγινε μελέτη των χαρακτηριστικών του πλάσματος που δημιουργείται κατά την ακτινοβόληση πολυμερικών/πλαστικών δειγμάτων και πως αυτά επηρεάζονται από τις ιδιότητες της δέσμης laser καθώς και από το περιβάλλον. / The continuously increasing needs for fast, reliable and easy to use analytical techniques operating remotely and in situ, under laboratory and/or field conditions have boosted considerable research efforts towards the development of novel analytical techniques satisfying these requirements. In that view, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has been proposed as an efficient tool for elemental analysis of various types of samples exhibiting several attractive advantages. LIBS is a laser based spectroscopic technique which permits the simultaneous atomization and excitation of the sample in one step, without requiring any sample preparation. In addition, LIBS operates successfully with all kinds of samples while the results are obtained within few seconds. Because of these advantages and its attractive simplicity, LIBS has become rapidly the most popular laser based analytical technique. In this work, LIBS is used in two different fields: the study of combustible hydrocarbon-air mixtures and the study of the created plasma in polymeric samples. In hydrocarbon –air flames, LIBS was applied for the determination of the local equivalence ratio in different hydrocarbon (gaseous and liquid) -air mixtures. In particular, it is shown that the ratio of the intensities of atomic spectral lines of H, C and O, emitted from a laser induced spark in the gaseous mixture, can be used for the rapid and accurate determination of the local equivalence ratio. There are also obtained spatially resolved equivalence ratio profiles in laminar premixed flames of different geometries (Bunsen type and impinging flames), which are used in order to reveal and quantify important flame structure features. Additionally, it is shown that LIBS can be used for the detection of humidity in air and in hydrocarbon-air flames. The results obtained showed that humidity causes significant changes in flame characteristics, and through the atomic spectral lines of H, N and O, humidity can be qualitatively be determined. In polymeric samples, LIBS technique is used for the identification of polymers and plastics for recycling purposes. Due to the importance of this application, the properties of the plasma created are extensively studied. It is shown that plasma generation and expansion is effected by the laser properties (laser energy, laser pulse) and by the environmental conditions (pressure).

No description available.

Flow past circular cylinders with stepwise discontinuities in diameter was investigated experimentally and numerically for the diameter ratio D/d = 2 and three Reynolds numbers, Re = 150, 300, and 1050. The investigation was focused on the vortex shedding phenomena occurring in the wake of the cylinders. In the first series of experimental and numerical studies, the flow development past a single step cylinder was investigated. The single step cylinder model is comprised of a small diameter cylinder (d) attached coaxially to a large diameter cylinder (D). The results show that three distinct spanwise vortex cells form in the step cylinder wake: a single vortex shedding cell in the wake of the small cylinder (the S-cell) and two vortex shedding cells in the wake of the large cylinder, one in the region downstream of the step (the N-cell) and the other away from the step (the L-cell). Due to the differences in vortex shedding frequencies between the three cells, complex vortex connections occur in two vortex-interaction regions located between the adjacent cells. The region at the boundary between the S-cell and the N-cell is relatively narrow and its spanwise extent does not fluctuate significantly. In this region, vortex dislocations manifested as half-loop connections between two S-cell vortices of opposite sign. In contrast, the region at the boundary between the N-cell and the L-cell exhibits a transient behavior, with large scale vortex dislocations causing cyclic variation in the extent of N-cell vortices. For Re = 300 and 1050, small scale streamwise vortices forming in the wake complicate the vortex dynamics within the adjacent S-cell and L-cell. There is no significant Reynolds number effect on the average spanwise extent of the vortex cells and the two transition regions between neighboring cells. Finally, formation of N-cell vortices is linked to downwash fluctuations near the step. The flow development past a dual step cylinder was studied experimentally for Re = 1050. The dual step cylinder model is comprised of a small diameter cylinder (d) and a large diameter cylinder (D) mounted at the mid-span of the small cylinder. The experiments were completed for a range of large cylinder aspect ratios 0.2 ≤ L/D ≤ 17. The flow development is highly dependent on the aspect ratio of the large cylinder, L/D. The results identify four distinct flow regimes: (i) for L/D = 17, three vortex shedding cells form in the wake of the large cylinder, one central cell and two cells of lower frequency extending over about 4.5D from the large cylinder ends, (ii) for 7 < L/D ≤ 14, a single vortex shedding cell forms in the wake of the large cylinder, whose shedding frequency decreases with decreasing L/D, (iii) for 2 ≤ L/D ≤ 7, vortex shedding in the wake of the large cylinder is highly three-dimensional, with vortices deforming in the near wake, (iv) for 0.2 ≤ L/D ≤ 1, only small cylinder vortices are shed in the wake and can form vortex connections across the wake of the large cylinder.

No description available.

<p>The spectroscopic, SEM and Raman measurements on carbon nanotubes under the exact conditions of which OES analysis were made showed that at<br /> a pressure of 400 Torr and a flow rate of 200 sccm, the quality and quantity of single-walled carbon nanotubes was the highest.</p>