Behavior of positive ions in hydrogen

It has been shown that electrons with 11.5 volts energy can dissociate a hydrogen molecule into its two constituent atoms, but up until recently no experiments have been performed to see whether fast positive ions are able to dissociate hydrogen.In the present experiments Li or Cs positive ions of various velocities are produced in a tube containing hydrogen molecules. The tube is immersed in liquid air, and the rate of decrease of pressure of hydrogen is measured as a function of the velocity of the positive ions. It is found that with no positive ions entering the tube there is a certain decrease in the pressure of the hydrogen due to its thermal dissociation on the hot filament and its subsequent condensation on the cold walls of the tube. With ions of energies from 15 to 320 volts flowing in the tube the rate of decrease of pressure is greater, showing a formation of some condensible product due to the action of the ions.The rate of pressure decrease with the voltage applied has been found to be proportional to the ion current flowing. The rate per unit current is proportional to the pressure; and the rate per unit current per unit pressure is practically independent of the voltage for Li and Cs ions of energies from 15 to 320 volts.The effect has been shown not to be due to secondary electrons.The process may be due to the formation of alkali hydrides in the gas phase. The number of hydrogen molecules disappearing per positive ion entering the tube varies from 0.01 to 0.5. No critical potentials have been found in this experiment, in disagreement with recent experiments of Leipunsky and Schechter.     

The magnetic deflection experiments of Curtiss and of Mott-Smith

We have carried out a geometrical analysis which applies to that type of cosmic ray deflection experiment in which an extended region of magnetic field lies between the lower two of three or more Geiger-Mueller counters arranged in line for counting coincident discharges. It is apparent that charged particles of sufficiently low energy will be deviated away from the last counter and that the counting rate will therefore be reduced by application of the field. This paper presents a method for computing what proportion of electrons of a given energy will be eliminated by application of the field. The method is extended to include a constant loss of energy per unit path length as the particle traverses an iron core. The results of the experiments of Curtiss and of Mott-Smith are interpreted in the light of these calculations. Curtiss' result could be explained if all rays were electrons of 4 × 10⁸ volts energy. One may conclude from his observation that if all the radiation consists of positive or negative electrons, the fraction between 2 × 10⁷ volts and 1.5 × 10⁸ volts is less than 30 per cent. of the total above 2 × 10⁷, and that the fraction between 2 × 10⁷ and 10⁹ is greater than 30 per cent. A comparison of Curtiss' and Mott-Smith's experiments yields no reason for doubting the correctness of using the magnetic induction B when computing the deflection within iron. Nor does it necessarily sustain this procedure. An experiment by W. F. G. Swann and the writer is at present under way for the purpose of securing, if possible, more conclusive evidence on this point.     

Mobilities of gaseous ions in CH3NO2H2 and CH3CNH2 mixtures

Extending previous investigations by Loeb of mobilities in gaseous mixtures using his procedure except that the auxiliary field in these measurements was made equal to the advancing field thus giving absolute values of the mobilities, measurements of mobilities were made in mixtures of CH₃NO₂H2 and CH₃CNH₂. The mobilities in H₂ were 7.12 for the positive ions and 10.46 for the negative ions in cm./sec. per volt/cm. Those in CH₃NO₂ were 0.221 cm./sec. per volt/cm. for both ions and in CH₃CN they were 0.234 cm./sec. per volt/cm. for both ions. Both ion mobilities deviated from Blanc's law in CH₃NO₂ indicating the formation of complexes with the CH₃NO₂ ions somewhat greater in size than the normal ions in H₂. The molecules attached to negative ions somewhat less readily than to the positive ions but both final ions were of the same size. In CH₃CN mixtures both positive and negative ions deviated from Blanc's law, the positive ion showing more ready attachment of CH₃CN. The negative ion had consistently a higher mobility than the positive ion, a circumstance indicating a smaller ion and suggesting that the attaching molecule might not be CH₃CN but some impurity. Both ion addition products in CH₃CN are larger than the normal ion in H₂ but smaller than those in CH₃NO₂ as was to be expected.     

Probe measurements in the normal electric arc

Probe measurements have been made in cadmium, thallium and carbon arcs by sweeping the probe through the arc at a constant velocity and measuring the current collected by the throw on a ballistic galvanometer with different probe potentials applied. The voltage-current characteristic was analyzed to get a measure of the positive ion concentration, the average electron temperature and the space potential by the Langmuir method. The cathode falls found were each equal to, or only slightly higher than, the ionization potential of the active gas, and were 9.0 volts in the cadmium arc, 6.5 volts in the thallium arc and 5.0 volts in the carbon arc. The last value is to be compared with the ionization potential of the cyanogen molecule of 4.4 volts. The anode fall found in the carbon arc was 16.5 volts. These values for the carbon are agree almost exactly with the “forward” and “back” E.M.F.'s measured by Duddell and others at the cathode and the anode but not identified by them as the cathode and anode falls. The electron velocities were found to be Maxwellian with average velocities sufficiently high to account for the ionization known to exist. Over parts of the are stream where the fields were found to be large the electrons showed corresponding increases in average temperature and evidence that only about three-quarters of the energy gained by the electrons from the field between collisions is lost by the lectrons while the remaining quarter is retained and made evident by the steady increase in the electron temperature. As the current flowing through the arc was increased, the radiation per unit volume and also the positive ion current per unit length of the probe were found to increase very rapidly indicating an increase in the efficiency of the ionization process as the current increases. It is thought that this observation is closely related to the fact that the voltage drop across the arc decreases as the arc current increases.     

The electron mechanics of induction acceleration

The radial and axial motions of electrons in the betatron are described by means of a potential function of forces. Previously reported conditions of equilibrium, stability and damping of oscillations are derived for the region of parabolic variation of the potential. Extension of the analysis to, non-parabolic regions gives an account of the injection in conventional instruments in better agreement with experiment, particularly in regard to higher voltages of injection.Space charge limitations are discussed with the help of the Laplacian of the potential of forces.By means of an additional radial electric field electrons can be introduced as in the magnetron, without any asymmetry inherent in the conventional betatron circumferential injector. The analysis of the conditions of equilibrium and stability, greatly facilitated in this case by the notion of potential, shows that no substantial improvement in space charge limitations can be expected and that the required variations between the flux linking the electron orbits and the magnetic and electric fields at the orbits are difficult to realize on account of their complexity and narrow tolerances. The X-ray output of a small experimental double yoke instrument was measured by a phototube multiplier viewing an irradiated fluorescent screen and gave evidence of multiple group electron capture.     

直流电弧等离子体制备纳米粉技术及其应用

直流电弧等离子体是在电场作用下,气体中存在的自由电子受到电场加速,其速度（动能）达到某一值时,中性原子或分子被电离而获得更多的自由电子,这些电子进一步加速激发其它中性粒子产生类似于雪崩现象的电离过程,结果使气体放电形成等离子体。利用等离子体的高温（可达3000K-30000K）使金属熔化蒸发形成气态金属原子,再将气态金...     

Critical ionization potentials by positive-ion impact

The experiments of several previous investigators were repeated in substance with apparatus designed to make it possible to distinguish between ionization and certain spurious factors which have made questionable much of the existing evidence relating to ionization by positive-ion impact. A great many current-potential measurements and curves were obtained at different gas pressures and with a variety of electrical arrangements. The data and curves thus obtained present direct evidence (a) that the previously so-called “ionization current” is due to a secondary electron emission from the platinum walls of the ionization chamber, (b) that this secondary electron emission is produced by the impact of the positive ions with these metal walls, (c) that either there is no ionization in hydrogen gas by the impact of the positive ions accelerated by potential differences up to 925 volts, or that if this phenomenon exists, as is indicated by visual and spectroscopic evidence, its effects are so small at relatively low pressures (.012 mm.) that it is completely masked by secondary phenomena which make its detection by the ordinary direct methods problematic, and (d) that it seems possible that at relatively high gas pressures (considerably above .012 mm.), ionization by positive ions might be an important factor with accelerating potential differences between the ends of their M.F.P. well within this same range of voltages.     

Fluctuations of DNA mobility in nanofluidic entropic traps

We studied the mobility of DNA molecules driven by an electric field through a nanofluidic device containing a periodic array of deep and shallow regions termed entropic traps. The mobility of a group of DNA molecules was measured by fluorescent video microscopy. Since the depth of a shallow region is smaller than the DNA equilibrium size, DNA molecules are trapped for a characteristic time and must compress themselves to traverse the boundary between deep and shallow regions. Consistent with previous experimental results, we observed a nonlinear relationship between the mobility and electric field strength, and that longer DNA molecules have larger mobility. In repeated measurements under seemingly identical conditions, we measured fluctuations in the mobility significantly larger than expected from statistical variation. The variation was more pronounced for lower electric field strengths where the trapping time is considerable relative to the drift time. To determine the origin of these fluctuations, we investigated the dependence of the mobility on several variables: DNA concentration, ionic strength of the solvent, fluorescent dye staining ratio, electroosmotic flow, and electric field strength. The mobility fluctuations were moderately enhanced in conditions of reduced ionic strength and electroosmotic flow.     

DNA translocation through short nanofluidic channels under asymmetric pulsed electric field

Investigation of single molecule DNA dynamics in confined environments has led to important applications in DNA analysis, separation, and sequencing. Here, we studied the electrophoretic transport of DNA molecules through nanochannels shorter than the DNA contour length and calculated the associated translocation time curves. We found that the longer T4 DNA molecules required a longer time to traverse a fixed length nanochannel than shorter λ DNA molecules and that the translocation time decreased with increasing electric field which agreed with theoretical predictions. We applied this knowledge to design an asymmetric electric pulse and demonstrate the different responses of λ and T4 DNA to the pulses. We used Brownian dynamics simulations to corroborate our experimental results on DNA translocation behaviour. This work contributes to the fundamental understanding of polymer transport through nanochannels and may help in designing better separation techniques in the future.     

Emission of electrons from cold metal surfaces

The results of Del Rosario on cold emission are shown to result from the fact that, through the attainment of specially good vacuum conditions and freedom from contamination, the cold electron current from the wire was suppressed up to field strengths greater than those at which measurable current was obtained in the work of previous observers. It was in fact suppressed beyond the point at which discharge started from points on the welding of the support. The results of Del Rosario are thus probably characteristic of conditions other than those pertaining to the wire, a conclusion which accounts for his current voltage curves. The formula of Fowler and Nordheim is found to apply in the measurable regions in form directly and in magnitude only if irregularities of the surface are such as to raise the field at the surface to a sufficiently high value. Breakdowns after intense heat treatment are studied and found to be caused by immeasurably small currents of electrons knocking ions from the anode. The erratic original curves obtained by previous investigators are found to be caused by successive breakdowns similar to those found after intense heating.     

Size-dependent trajectories of DNA macromolecules due to insulative dielectrophoresis in submicrometer-deep fluidic channels

In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time that insulative dielectrophoresis can induce size-dependent trajectories of DNA macromolecules. We experimentally use λ (48.5 kbp) and T4GT7 (165.6 kbp) DNA molecules flowing continuously around a sharp corner inside fluidic channels with a depth of 0.4 μm. Numerical simulation of the electrokinetic force distribution inside the channels is in qualitative agreement with our experimentally observed trajectories. We discuss a possible physical mechanism for the DNA polarization and dielectrophoresis inside confining channels, based on the observed dielectrophoresis responses due to different DNA sizes and various electric fields applied between the inlet and the outlet. The proposed physical mechanism indicates that further extensive investigations, both theoretically and experimentally, would be very useful to better elucidate the forces involved at DNA dielectrophoresis. When applied for size-based sorting of DNA molecules, our sorting method offers two major advantages compared to earlier attempts with insulative dielectrophoresis: Its continuous operation allows for high-throughput analysis, and it only requires electric field strengths as low as ∼10 V∕cm.     

Electric field manipulation enhanced by strong spin-orbit coupling: promoting rare-earth ions as qubits

Quantum information processing based on magnetic ions has potential for applications as the ions can be modified in their electronic properties and assembled by a variety of chemical methods. For these systems to achieve individual spin addressability and high energy efficiency, we exploited the electric field as a tool to manipulate the quantum behaviours of the rare-earth ion which has strong spin-orbit coupling. A Ce:YAG single crystal was employed with considerations to the dynamics and the symmetry requirements. The Stark effect of the Ce³⁺ ion was observed and measured. When demonstrated as a quantum phase gate, the electric field manipulation exhibited high efficiency which allowed up to 57 π/2 operations before decoherence with optimized field direction. It was also utilized to carry out quantum bang-bang control, as a method of dynamic decoupling, and the refined Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm. Our experiments highlighted rare-earth ions as potentially applicable qubits because they offer enhanced spin-electric coupling which enables high-efficiency quantum manipulation.     

Regulation of DNA conformations and dynamics in flows with hybrid field microfluidics

Visualizing single DNA dynamics in flow provides a wealth of physical insights in biophysics and complex flow study. However, large signal fluctuations, generated from diversified conformations, deformation history dependent dynamics and flow induced stochastic tumbling, often frustrate its wide adoption in single molecule and polymer flow study. We use a hybrid field microfluidic (HFM) approach, in which an electric field is imposed at desired locations and appropriate moments to balance the flow stress on charged molecules, to effectively regulate the initial conformations and the deformation dynamics of macromolecules in flow. With λ-DNA and a steady laminar shear flow as the model system, we herein studied the performance of HFM on regulating DNA trapping, relaxation, coil-stretch transition, and accumulation. DNA molecules were found to get captured in the focused planes when motions caused by flow, and the electric field were balanced. The trapped macromolecules relaxed in two different routes while eventually became more uniform in size and globule conformations. When removing the electric field, the sudden stretching dynamics of DNA molecules exhibited a more pronounced extension overshoot in their transient response under a true step function of flow stress while similar behaviors to what other pioneering work in steady shear flow. Such regulation strategies could be useful to control the conformations of other important macromolecules (e.g., proteins) and help better reveal their molecular dynamics.     

Stretching DNA by electric field and flow field in microfluidic devices: An experimental validation to the devices designed with computer simulations

We examined the performance of three microfluidic devices for stretching DNA. The first device is a microchannel with a contraction, and the remaining two are the modifications to the first. The modified designs were made with the help of computer simulations [C. C. Hsieh and T. H. Lin, Biomicrofluidics 5(4), 044106 (2011) and C. C. Hsieh, T. H. Lin, and C. D. Huang, Biomicrofluidics 6, 044105 (2012)] and they were optimized for operating with electric field. In our experiments, we first used DC electric field to stretch DNA. However, the experimental results were not even in qualitative agreement with our simulations. More detailed investigation revealed that DNA molecules adopt a globular conformation in high DC field and therefore become more difficult to stretch. Owing to the similarity between flow field and electric field, we turned to use flow field to stretch DNA with the same devices. The evolution patterns of DNA conformation in flow field were found qualitatively the same as our prediction based on electric field. We analyzed the maximum values, the evolution and the distributions of DNA extension at different Deborah number in each device. We found that the shear and the hydrodynamic interaction have significant influence on the performance of the devices.     

Modeling of dielectrophoretic transport of myoglobin molecules in microchannels

Myoglobin is one of the premature identifying cardiac markers, whose concentration increases from 90 pg∕ml or less to over 250 ng∕ml in the blood serum of human beings after minor heart attack. Separation, detection, and quantification of myoglobin play a vital role in revealing the cardiac arrest in advance, which is the challenging part of ongoing research. In the present work, one of the electrokinetic approaches, i.e., dielectrophoresis (DEP), is chosen to separate the myoglobin. A mathematical model is developed for simulating dielectrophoretic behavior of a myoglobin molecule in a microchannel to provide a theoretical basis for the above application. This model is based on the introduction of a dielectrophoretic force and a dielectric myoglobin model. A dielectric myoglobin model is developed by approximating the shape of the myoglobin molecule as sphere, oblate, and prolate spheroids. A generalized theoretical expression for the dielectrophoretic force acting on respective shapes of the molecule is derived. The microchannel considered for analysis has an array of parallel rectangular electrodes at the bottom surface. The potential and electric field distributions are calculated using Green’s theorem method and finite element method. These results also compared to the Fourier series method, closed form solutions by Morgan et al. [J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 34, 1553 (2001)] and Chang et al. [J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36, 3073 (2003)]. It is observed that both Green’s theorem based analytical solution and finite element based numerical solution for proposed model are closely matched for electric field and square electric field gradients. The crossover frequency is obtained as 40 MHz for given properties of myoglobin and for all approximated shapes of myoglobin molecule. The effect of conductivity of medium and myoglobin on the crossover frequency is also demonstrated. Further, the effect of hydration layer on the crossover frequency of myoglobin molecules is also presented. Both positive and negative DEP effects on myoglobin molecules are obtained by switching the frequency of applied electric field. The effect of different shapes of myoglobin on DEP force is studied and no significant effect on DEP force is observed. Finally, repulsion of myoglobin molecules from the electrode plane at 1 KHz frequency and 10 V applied voltage is observed. These results provide the ability of applying DEP force for manipulating nanosized biomolecules such as myoglobin.     

Tilted post arrays for separating long DNA

Recent simulations by Chen and Dorfman [Electrophoresis 35, 405–411 (2014)] suggested that “tilting” the electric field with respect to the lattice vectors of a hexagonal post array would lead to a substantial improvement in electrophoretic DNA separations therein. We constructed such an array where the electric field is applied at an angle equidistant between the two lattice vectors. This tilted array leads to (i) baseline resolution of 20 kbp DNA and λ DNA (48.5 kbp) in a 4 mm channel and (ii) measurable separation resolutions for electric fields up to 50 V/cm, both of which are improvements over untilted post arrays of the same post density. The predicted time required to reach a resolution of unity is approximately 5 min, independent of electric field. The separations are more reproducible at higher fields.     

Viscoelastic effects on electrokinetic particle focusing in a constricted microchannel

Focusing suspended particles in a fluid into a single file is often necessary prior to continuous-flow detection, analysis, and separation. Electrokinetic particle focusing has been demonstrated in constricted microchannels by the use of the constriction-induced dielectrophoresis. However, previous studies on this subject have been limited to Newtonian fluids only. We report in this paper an experimental investigation of the viscoelastic effects on electrokinetic particle focusing in non-Newtonian polyethylene oxide solutions through a constricted microchannel. The width of the focused particle stream is found NOT to decrease with the increase in DC electric field, which is different from that in Newtonian fluids. Moreover, particle aggregations are observed at relatively high electric fields to first form inside the constriction. They can then either move forward and exit the constriction in an explosive mode or roll back to the constriction entrance for further accumulations. These unexpected phenomena are distinct from the findings in our earlier paper [Lu et al., Biomicrofluidics 8, 021802 (2014)], where particles are observed to oscillate inside the constriction and not to pass through until a chain of sufficient length is formed. They are speculated to be a consequence of the fluid viscoelasticity effects.     

Of frogs and men: the origins of psychophysiological time experiments, 1850-1865

Towards the end of the 1840s, Hermann von Helmholtz began to investigate experimentally the propagation of stimuli within nerves. Helmholtz's experiments on animals and human subjects opened a research field that in the following decades was intensively explored by neurophysiologists and experimental psychologists. Helmholtz's pioneering investigations justify the central place he occupies in accounts of the history of modern psychophysiology. Studying the concrete experimental settings and their local contexts shows how deeply the work of scholars such as Helmholtz is embedded in the history of culture and technology. In particular, the rapidly growing technologies of electromagnetism, which gave rise to telegraphy and electric clocks, facilitated the time measurements of 19th-century physiologists and psychologists.     

Influences of electric field on living cells in a charged water-in-oil droplet under electrophoretic actuation

We experimentally investigate the effects of high electric field on living cells inside a charged droplet under electrophoretic actuation. When an aqueous droplet suspended in a dielectric liquid contacts with electrified electrode, the droplet acquires charge. This charged droplet undergoes electrophoretic motion under strong electric field (1–3 kV/cm), which can be used as a droplet manipulation method in biomicrofluidic applications. However, because strong electric field and use of dielectric oil can be a harmful environment for living cells, the biological feasibilities have been tested. Trypan blue test and cell growth test have been performed to check the viability and proliferation of cells in a droplet under various electric field strengths and actuation times. We have not observed any noticeable influence of electric field and silicone oil on the viability and proliferation of cells, which indicates that electrophoresis could be safely used as a manipulation method for a droplet containing living biological system.     

Water molecules bonded to the carboxylate groups at the inorganic–organic interface of an inorganic nanocrystal coated with alkanoate ligands

High-quality colloidal nanocrystals are commonly synthesized in hydrocarbon solvents with alkanoates as the most common organic ligand. Water molecules with an approximately equal number of surface alkanoate ligands are identified at the inorganic–organic interface for all types of colloidal nanocrystals studied, and investigated quantitatively using CdSe nanocrystals as the model system. Carboxylate ligands are coordinated to the surface metal ions and the first monolayer of water molecules is found to bond to the carboxylate groups of alkanoate ligands through hydrogen bonds. Additional monolayer(s) of water molecules can further be adsorbed through hydrogen bonds to the first monolayer of water molecules. The nearly ideal environment for hydrogen bonding at the inorganic–organic interface of alkanoate-coated nanocrystals helps to rapidly and stably enrich the interface-bonded water molecules, most of which are difficult to remove through vacuum treatment, thermal annealing and chemical drying. The water-enriched structure of the inorganic–organic interface of high-quality colloidal nanocrystals must be taken into account in order to understand the synthesis, processing and properties of these novel materials.