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Vários experimentos têm demonstrado que pulsos ultra curtos no domínio de subpicossegundos promovem uma combinação de efeitos termomecânicos que superam algumas das objeções ao uso de um laser como instrumento removedor. Usando os parâmetros apropriados de operação, lasers com pulsos ultra curtos podem se comportar melhor do que instrumentos convencionais, incluindo alguns dos lasers pulsados comercialmente já disponíveis na Odontologia. A exploração e otimização nos parâmetros dos lasers disponíveis podem promover a remoção de certas objeções ao amplo uso dos lasers. O uso de lasers de pulsos ultra-curtos para ablação de dentes previne o superaquecimento e é uma alternativa para a remoção mecânica de material; além de minimizar o volume desse material removido. Através de estudos morfológicos e químicos, são apresentadas as características de interação laser pulsado - tecido duro dental, com relação a sua largura de pulso - nano ou picossegundos. O objetivo principal é dar início a um novo sistema para ablação de esmalte e dentina humanos: o laser de Nd:YAG no regime de picossegundos. A eficiência da ablação com laser através de um regime de picossegundos minimiza a destruição do material adjacente devido a formação de plasma e ataque. Isso previne a geração excessiva de ondas de choque e promove uma considerável diminuição nos efeitos mecânicos. A diminuição das ondas de choque provavelmente também poderá reduzir a vibração e conseqüentemente a sensação de dor, se aplicado clinicamente. Apesar da baixa taxa de ablação, os resultados mostram a real possibilidade para usar um sistema laser comercial relativamente simples para pulsos em picossegundos que poderia promover a Dentística Operatória Puntual e Seletiva, em outras palavras, seria possível tratar apenas o tecido alterado com seletividade e sem remover tecido sadio ou mesmo promover danos aos tecidos ao redor. Na maioria dos experimentos aqui apresentados, o laser de pulso ultra-curtos apresentou aumento na proporção Ca/P, melhorando a resistência química da superfície irradiada. Além disso, os cortes precisos resultam em superfícies mais lisas, que é importante para prevenir a colonização do biofilme. Outros estudos in vitro são necessários, mudando os parâmetros de energia e simulando situações clínicas para propor o uso efetivo desse sistema in vivo, mas, de fato, o sistema laser em picossegundos pode melhorar a qualidade da Dentística Operatória num futuro breve. / In several already demonstrated experiments, ultrashort laser pulses on the subpicosecond range have been shown to produce a strong thermo-mechanical effect, in several different situations. Even been out side dentistry, the general aspects of subpicosecond pulses interaction with matter are of broad applications on can be used as general references. This strong thermo-mechanical effect has created objections toward the use of such lasers as a material removal too1. On the other hand, using the appropriated parameters of operation, ultra short laser pulses of subnanosecond duration could present better performance than conventional lasers operating at nanosecond regime in several aspects. Through chemical and morphological studies, they are presented the main features from interaction between pulsed laser and dental hard tissue, considering pulse width - nano or picosecond pulse. The main objective is starting to use a new system to ablate human enamel and dentin: Nd:YAG picosecond laser system. Efficient laser ablation in the picosecond regime minimizes destruction of adjacent material due to a plasma formation and etching. This avoids an excessive generation of shock waves and promotes a considerable decrease in mechanical effects. The decreasing of shock waves also reduces vibration and consequently the sensation of pain, if clinically used. Despite the small ablation rate, our results show the real possibility to use a relative simple commercial laser system for picosecond pulses to be use effectively in Dentistry. The real clinical use of a picosecond laser system could promote the Punctual and Selective Operative Dentistry, in other words, we could treat just the decayed tissue with selectivity without remove sound tissue or even promote damage to tissues around. Besides, the precise cuts maybe give us a smoother surface, which is important to prevent biofilm colonization. We need to evaluate more in vitro studies, changing parameters and simulating clinical situations to propose the effective use of this system in vivo, but in fact, we believe that the picosecond laser system can improve the quality of Operative Dentistry in a brief future.

In this Ph.D. thesis, we have carried out numerical simulations to study nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges (NRPD) in a point-to-point geometry at atmospheric pressure in air and in H2-air mixtures. Experimentally, three discharge regimes have been observed for NRPD in air at atmospheric pressure for the temperature range Tg = 300 to 1000 K: corona, glow and spark. To study these regimes, first, we have considered a discharge occurring during one of the nanosecond voltage pulses. We have shown that a key parameter for the transition between the discharge regimes is the ratio between the connection-time of positive and negative discharges initiated at point electrodes and the pulse duration. In a second step, we have studied the dynamics of charged species during the interpulse at Tg = 300 and 1000 K and we have shown that the discharge characteristics during a given voltage pulse remain rather close whatever the preionization level (in the range 109-1011 cm��3) left by previous discharges. Then, we have simulated several consecutive nanosecond voltage pulses at Tg = 1000 K at a repetition frequency of 10 kHz. We have shown that in a few voltage pulses, the discharge reaches a stable quasi-periodic glow regime observed in the experiments. We have studied the nanosecond spark discharge regime. We have shown that the fraction of the discharge energy going to fast heating is in the range 20%- 30%. Due to this fast heating, we have observed the propagation of a cylindrical shockwave followed by the formation of a hot channel in the path of the discharge that expands radially on short timescales (t < 1 _s), as observed in experiments. Then we have taken into account an external circuit model to limit the current and then, we have simulated several consecutive pulses to study the transition from multipulse nanosecond glow to spark discharges. Finally the results of this Ph.D. have been used to find conditions to obtain a stable glow regime in air at 300 K and atmospheric pressure. Second we have studied on short time-scales (t_ 100_s) the ignition by a nanosecond spark discharge of a lean H2-air mixture at 1000 K and atmospheric pressure with an equivalence ratio of _ = 0:3. We have compared the relative importance for ignition of the fast-heating of the discharge and of the production of atomic oxygen. We have shown that the ignition with atomic oxygen seems to be slightly more efficient and has a completely different dynamics.

Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudié des décharges nanosecondes répétitives pulsées dans une géométrie pointe-pointe à la pression atmosphérique dans l’air et dans des mélanges hydrogène-air. Expérimentalement, trois régimes de décharges ont été observés dans l’air à pression atmosphérique entre 300 et 1000 K : couronne, diffus et arc. Pour étudier ces différents régimes, nous avons tout d’abord simulé une décharge ayant lieu pendant un des pulses de tension nanosecondes. Nous avons montré qu’un paramètre clé pour la transition entre les régimes est le rapport entre le temps de connexion entre les décharges positives et négatives initiées aux pointes et la durée du pulse de tension. Dans une seconde étape, nous avons étudié la dynamique des espèces chargées entre les pulses de tension à 300 et 1000 K et nous avons montré que les caractéristiques de la décharge pendant un pulse de tension dépendaient très peu du niveau de préionisation (dans la gamme 109-1011 cm��3) laissé par les décharges précédentes. Nous avons ensuite simulé plusieurs pulses de tensions consécutifs à Tg=1000 K à une fréquence de 10 kHz. Nous avons montré que, en quelques pulses de tension, la décharge atteint un régime diffus "stable", observé dans les expériences. Nous avons ensuite étudié le régime de décharge de type arc nanoseconde. Nous avons montré que la fraction d’énergie de la décharge allant dans le chauffage rapide de l’air est de 20-30 %. A cause de ce chauffage rapide, nous avons observé la propagation d’une onde de choc cylindrique suivie par la formation d’un canal chaud, sur le passage initial de la décharge, qui se dilate radialement sur des temps courts (t 6 1 _s), comme observé dans les expériences. Ensuite nous avons pris en compte un modèle de circuit externe pour limiter le courant et ainsi nous avons simulé plusieurs pulses consécutifs pour étudier la transition entre les régimes diffus et d’arc nanoseconde. Pour finir, les résultats de cette thèse ont été utilisés pour trouver des conditions d’obtention d’un régime diffus stable à 300 K et à la pression atmosphérique. Puis nous avons étudié l’allumage sur des temps courts (t 6 100 _s) d’un mélange pauvre H2-air par une décharge de type arc nanoseconde à 1000 K et à pression atmosphérique avec une richesse de 0.3. Nous avons comparé les importances relatives pour l’allumage du chauffage rapide et de la production d’oxygène atomique. Nous avons montré que l’allumage par l’oxygène atomique semble être légèrement plus efficace et a une dynamique complètement différente de celle initiée par le chauffage rapide. / In this Ph.D. thesis, we have carried out numerical simulations to study nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges (NRPD) in a point-to-point geometry at atmospheric pressure in air and in H2-air mixtures. Experimentally, three discharge regimes have been observed for NRPD in air at atmospheric pressure for the temperature range Tg = 300 to 1000 K: corona, glow and spark. To study these regimes, first, we have considered a discharge occurring during one of the nanosecond voltage pulses. We have shown that a key parameter for the transition between the discharge regimes is the ratio between the connection-time of positive and negative discharges initiated at point electrodes and the pulse duration. In a second step, we have studied the dynamics of charged species during the interpulse at Tg = 300 and 1000 K and we have shown that the discharge characteristics during a given voltage pulse remain rather close whatever the preionization level (in the range 109-1011 cm��3) left by previous discharges. Then, we have simulated several consecutive nanosecond voltage pulses at Tg = 1000 K at a repetition frequency of 10 kHz. We have shown that in a few voltage pulses, the discharge reaches a stable quasi-periodic glow regime observed in the experiments. We have studied the nanosecond spark discharge regime. We have shown that the fraction of the discharge energy going to fast heating is in the range 20%- 30%. Due to this fast heating, we have observed the propagation of a cylindrical shockwave followed by the formation of a hot channel in the path of the discharge that expands radially on short timescales (t < 1 _s), as observed in experiments. Then we have taken into account an external circuit model to limit the current and then, we have simulated several consecutive pulses to study the transition from multipulse nanosecond glow to spark discharges. Finally the results of this Ph.D. have been used to find conditions to obtain a stable glow regime in air at 300 K and atmospheric pressure. Second we have studied on short time-scales (t_ 100_s) the ignition by a nanosecond spark discharge of a lean H2-air mixture at 1000 K and atmospheric pressure with an equivalence ratio of _ = 0:3. We have compared the relative importance for ignition of the fast-heating of the discharge and of the production of atomic oxygen. We have shown that the ignition with atomic oxygen seems to be slightly more efficient and has a completely different dynamics.

Vários experimentos têm demonstrado que pulsos ultra curtos no domínio de subpicossegundos promovem uma combinação de efeitos termomecânicos que superam algumas das objeções ao uso de um laser como instrumento removedor. Usando os parâmetros apropriados de operação, lasers com pulsos ultra curtos podem se comportar melhor do que instrumentos convencionais, incluindo alguns dos lasers pulsados comercialmente já disponíveis na Odontologia. A exploração e otimização nos parâmetros dos lasers disponíveis podem promover a remoção de certas objeções ao amplo uso dos lasers. O uso de lasers de pulsos ultra-curtos para ablação de dentes previne o superaquecimento e é uma alternativa para a remoção mecânica de material; além de minimizar o volume desse material removido. Através de estudos morfológicos e químicos, são apresentadas as características de interação laser pulsado - tecido duro dental, com relação a sua largura de pulso - nano ou picossegundos. O objetivo principal é dar início a um novo sistema para ablação de esmalte e dentina humanos: o laser de Nd:YAG no regime de picossegundos. A eficiência da ablação com laser através de um regime de picossegundos minimiza a destruição do material adjacente devido a formação de plasma e ataque. Isso previne a geração excessiva de ondas de choque e promove uma considerável diminuição nos efeitos mecânicos. A diminuição das ondas de choque provavelmente também poderá reduzir a vibração e conseqüentemente a sensação de dor, se aplicado clinicamente. Apesar da baixa taxa de ablação, os resultados mostram a real possibilidade para usar um sistema laser comercial relativamente simples para pulsos em picossegundos que poderia promover a Dentística Operatória Puntual e Seletiva, em outras palavras, seria possível tratar apenas o tecido alterado com seletividade e sem remover tecido sadio ou mesmo promover danos aos tecidos ao redor. Na maioria dos experimentos aqui apresentados, o laser de pulso ultra-curtos apresentou aumento na proporção Ca/P, melhorando a resistência química da superfície irradiada. Além disso, os cortes precisos resultam em superfícies mais lisas, que é importante para prevenir a colonização do biofilme. Outros estudos in vitro são necessários, mudando os parâmetros de energia e simulando situações clínicas para propor o uso efetivo desse sistema in vivo, mas, de fato, o sistema laser em picossegundos pode melhorar a qualidade da Dentística Operatória num futuro breve. / In several already demonstrated experiments, ultrashort laser pulses on the subpicosecond range have been shown to produce a strong thermo-mechanical effect, in several different situations. Even been out side dentistry, the general aspects of subpicosecond pulses interaction with matter are of broad applications on can be used as general references. This strong thermo-mechanical effect has created objections toward the use of such lasers as a material removal too1. On the other hand, using the appropriated parameters of operation, ultra short laser pulses of subnanosecond duration could present better performance than conventional lasers operating at nanosecond regime in several aspects. Through chemical and morphological studies, they are presented the main features from interaction between pulsed laser and dental hard tissue, considering pulse width - nano or picosecond pulse. The main objective is starting to use a new system to ablate human enamel and dentin: Nd:YAG picosecond laser system. Efficient laser ablation in the picosecond regime minimizes destruction of adjacent material due to a plasma formation and etching. This avoids an excessive generation of shock waves and promotes a considerable decrease in mechanical effects. The decreasing of shock waves also reduces vibration and consequently the sensation of pain, if clinically used. Despite the small ablation rate, our results show the real possibility to use a relative simple commercial laser system for picosecond pulses to be use effectively in Dentistry. The real clinical use of a picosecond laser system could promote the Punctual and Selective Operative Dentistry, in other words, we could treat just the decayed tissue with selectivity without remove sound tissue or even promote damage to tissues around. Besides, the precise cuts maybe give us a smoother surface, which is important to prevent biofilm colonization. We need to evaluate more in vitro studies, changing parameters and simulating clinical situations to propose the effective use of this system in vivo, but in fact, we believe that the picosecond laser system can improve the quality of Operative Dentistry in a brief future.

Growing interest in biomedical applications of nonthermal plasmas inspires the development of new plasmas sources. Dielectric barrier (DBD) and corona discharges produced in ambient air or in noble gas flow are typically applied. Direct production of plasma in liquids has a great potential for sterilization of liquid substances and extracorporeal blood treatment. The physical mechanisms of discharge formation in liquid medium are not fully understood.The first part of this thesis deals with the initiation and development of the nanosecond discharge in liquid dielectrics (deionized water, ethanol and n-pentane). Time-resolved shadowgraph visualization, optical emission spectroscopy and electrical diagnostics are applied to investigate the discharge formation on point anode.We have shown that depending on the applied voltage amplitude three different scenario can occur in the polar dielectric, namely, cavitation of a bubble, discharge development in the gaseous cavity (bush-like mode) and initiation of the filamentary discharge (tree-like mode) propagating in bulk liquid. Formation of the bush-like and the tree-like discharges is governed by distinct physical mechanisms, resulting in strongly different plasma parameters.In the second part of this work we address the question of how cold atmospheric plasma interacts with living cells in-vitro and in-vivo, and what is the mechanism of plasma induced cell death. Flowcytometry based cell viability assay with two markers AnnexinV (AV) and Propidium iodide (PI), demonstrates a dose dependent induction of the apoptosis for human T lymphocyte (Jurkat) and epithelial (HMEC) cells treated with DBD plasma. In nude mice model, induction of apoptosis and necrosis in dose dependant manner is observed by electron microscopy in thin epidermis sections. Histological analysis shows significant lesions appeared in epidermis, dermis, hypodermis and muscle as a function of treatment duration. Production of hydrogen peroxide in culture medium (PBS) exposed to DBD plasma is measured using selective fluorescent probe (Amplex® Red). Cell viability of human thyroid epithelial (HTori-3) and melanoma (1205Lu) cells demonstrates nonmonotonous dependence on H2O2 concentration. The major role of plasma produced hydrogen peroxide and DBD electric field is suggested.

This thesis presents experimental studies of various non-thermal atmospheric pressure gas discharges generated using short pulsed excitation as an alternative to widely used sinusoidal excitation. Several pulse generators are detailed that provide high voltage pulses ranging from hundreds of microseconds to less than ten nanoseconds in duration. A key enabler to the generation of a stable discharge is a suitably high repetition rate; this prerequisite precludes many conventional pulsed power technologies. Fortunately, recent advances in semiconductor technology have made it possible to construct solid state switches capable of producing high voltage pulses with repetition rates of many kilohertz. Pulsed excitation introduces many opportunities to tailor the applied voltage and consequently enhance the discharge which are not possible with sinusoidal excitation sources. Through detailed electrical and optical analysis it is shown that pulsed excitation is not only more energy efficient than a comparable sinusoidal source but produces a higher flux of excited species that are essential in many applications. When pulse widths are reduced to a sub-microsecond timescale a novel barrier-free mode of operation is observed. It is shown that diffuse large area plasmas are easily produced at kilohertz repetition rates without the usually indispensable dielectric barriers. Experimental results show that a short pulse width prevents the onset of the undesirable glow-to-arc transition thus introducing an added degree of stability. A further benefit of pulsed excitation is the ability to produce gas discharges with a high instantaneous peak power yet low average power consumption, resulting in a high density plasma that exhibits roomtemperature characteristics. Finally, as an acid test to highlight the many benefits of pulsed excitation several real-world applications are considered. It is shown that in all cases pulsed gas discharges provide real benefits compared to their sinusoidal counterparts.

The response of materials under extreme temperature and pressure conditions is a topic of great significance because of its relevance in astrophysics, geophysics, and inertial confinement fusion. In recent years, environments exceeding several hundred gigapascals in pressure have been produced in the laboratory via laser-based dynamic loading techniques. Shock-loading is of particular interest as the shock provides a fiducial for measuring time-dependent processes in the lattice such as phase transitions. Time-resolved x-ray diffraction is the only technique that offers an insight into these shock-induced processes at the relevant spatial (atomic) and temporal scales. In this study, nanosecond resolution x-ray diffraction techniques were developed and implemented towards the study of shock-induced phase transitions in polycrystalline materials. More specifically, the capability of a focusing x-ray diffraction geometry in high-resolution in situ lattice measurements was demonstrated by probing shock-compressed Cu and amorphous metallic glass samples. In addition, simultaneous lattice and free surface velocity measurements of shock-compressed Mg in the ambient hexagonal close packed (hcp) and shock-induced body centered cubic (bcc) phases between 12 and 45 GPa were performed. These measurements revealed x-ray diffraction signals consistent with a compressed bcc lattice above a shock pressure of 26.2±1.3 GPa, thus capturing for the first time direct lattice evidence of a shock-induced hcp to bcc phase transition in Mg. Our measurement of the hcp-bcc phase boundary in Mg was found to be consistent with the calculated boundary from generalized pseudopotential theory in the pressure and temperature region intersected by the principal shock Hugoniot. Furthermore, the subnanosecond timescale of the phase transition implied by the shock-loading conditions was in agreement with the kinetics of a martensitic transformation. In conclusion, we report on the progress and future work towards time-resolved x-ray diffraction measurements probing solid-liquid phase transitions in high Z polycrystalline materials, specifically Bi. / text

High repetition frequency nanosecond pulses have been shown to be effective in generating plasma for reconfigurable RF systems. In the present work, the focus is on simulation of nanosecond pulsed discharges in Argon at 3 Torr and inter-electrode spacing of 2 cm with pulse repetition frequency of 30 kHz. The simulations have been carried out using a hybrid model, HPEM code developed by Prof. Mark J. Kushner at University of Michigan. The simulation results were compared to the experiments. Although a mismatch of results has been found, the simulations seem to capture the underlying physical phenomena. The electron temperature in the afterglow of the pulse seems to decay faster compared to the electron number density in the plasma, which is an essential feature in designing low noise plasma antennas.

High energy pulse laser peening (HEPLP) is a manufacturing process, in which a strong shock wave is produced and induces high pressures on the surface of the target material. Generally, this process is used to improve material properties such as the hardness and fatigue life. First a 2D multi-physics model for the process was investigated, which simulates the pressure induced on the surface of the target material. The model can be coupled with commercial finite element software, such as ABAQUS, to more accurately simulate the HEPLP process to find stresses and deformations on the surface. Next two novel applications using the HEPLP process were investigated. The first, laser shock bending is a sheet metal micro-forming process using HEPLP to accurately bend, shape, precision align, or repair micro-components with bending angles less than 10°. Negative bending angle (away from laser beam) can be achieved with the high-energy pulsed laser, in addition to the conventional positive laser bending mechanism. In this thesis, various experimental and numerical studies on aluminum sheets were conducted to investigate the different deformation mechanisms, positive and negative. The experiments were conducted with the sheet thickness varying from 0.25 to 1.75 mm and laser pulse energy of 0.2 to 0.5 J. A critical thickness threshold of 0.7-0.88 mm was found that the transition of positive negative bending mechanism occurs. A statistic regression analysis was also developed to determine the bending angle as a function of laser process parameters for positive bending cases. The second application studied used HEPLP to imprint complex two-dimensional (2D) patterns dental implant material of cpTi. Pure titanium (commercial pure cpTi) is an ideal dental implant material, without the leeching of toxic alloy elements. Evidence has shown that unsmooth implant surface topologies may contribute to the osteoblast differentiation in human mesenchymal pre-osteoblastic cells, which is helpful to avoid long-term peri-abutment inflammation issues for the dental implant therapy with transcutaneous devices. Studies have been conducted on the grit blasted, acid etched, or uni-directional grooved Ti surface, however, for these existing approaches the surface quality is difficult to control or may even damage the implant. The strong shock wave generated by HEPLP is used to press a stainless steel grid, used as a stamp, on Ti foils to imprint a 2D pattern. In this study, the multiple grid patterns and grid sizes were applied to test for cell-attachment improvements. Then, the cell culture tests were conducted with the patterned surface to investigate the contribution of these 2D patterns, with the control tests of the other existing implant surface topography forming approaches. The micro-patterns proved successful in increasing the cell-attachment, increasing the number of cells attaching to the material and also contributing to the cell-growth within the grooved areas.