Initial Mass Loading Research Articles

Characterization of alginate/chitosan-based nanoparticles and mathematical modeling of their SpBMP-9 release inducing neuronal differentiation of human SH-SY5Y cells

The incidence of brain degenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will increase as the world population is ageing. While current AD treatments have only a transient effect, there are many evidences indicating that some growth factors, such as BMP-9, may be used to treat AD. However, growth factors cannot readily access the brain because of their size and the presence of the blood brain barrier. We have therefore developed a small peptide derived from BMP-9, SpBMP-9, which can promote the differentiation of cholinergic neurons and inactivate GSK3beta, a Tau kinase. Here, we investigated the potential of a nanoparticle-based delivery system of SpBMP-9, made of alginate and chitosan (Alg/Chit NPs), as a new therapeutic strategy against AD. The Alg/Chit NPs size distribution revealed NPs with an average diameter of ∼240nm. The encapsulation efficiency of SpBMP-9 was ∼70% of the initial peptide mass loading. Release kinetics of SpBMP-9 were performed in physiological conditions and modelled with a mechanistic framework that took into account the size distribution of Alg/Chit NPs. The release of SpBMP-9 revealed to be mostly diffusive, but there were interactions between the peptide and the alginate chains. The Alg/Chit NPs could also increase the viability of SH-SY5Y cells in comparison to the control. Finally, the SpBMP-9 released from Alg/Chit NPs promoted the SH-SY5Y differentiation into mature neurons as demonstrated by a higher neurite outgrowth and an increased expression of the neuronal markers NSE and VAchT. In conclusion, the nano-scale SpBMP-9 delivery system made of Alg/Chit may be a promising therapeutic strategy against AD.

Polymorphic Phase Control of RDX-Based Explosives.

The polymorphic phase of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) was examined as a function of mass loading, solvent, and sample deposition technique. When RDX was deposited at a high mass loading, the vibrational modes in the obtained Raman spectra were indicative of concomitant polymorphism as both the α-RDX and β-RDX phases were present. At low mass loadings, only β-RDX was observed regardless of solvent when using the drop cast crystallization method. However, α-RDX (the thermodynamically stable polymorphic phase observed with visible quantities of the explosive) was observed when RDX deposits were dry transferred. Observation of α-RDX was independent of the initial mass loading or the initial deposition solvent when using the dry transfer methodology. These data indicate that the use of the dry transfer preparation method can be used to successfully prepare RDX-based test articles with the α-RDX phase regardless of the solvent used to initially dissolve the RDX, the initial deposition technique, or the mass loading.

Transformation of logwood combustion emissions in a smog chamber: formation of secondary organic aerosol and changes in the primary organic aerosol upon daytime and nighttime aging

Abstract. Organic aerosols (OA) derived from small-scale wood combustion emissions are not well represented by current emissions inventories and models, although they contribute substantially to the atmospheric particulate matter (PM) levels. In this work, a 29 m3 smog chamber in the ILMARI facility of the University of Eastern Finland was utilized to investigate the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from a small-scale modern masonry heater commonly used in northern Europe. Emissions were oxidatively aged in the smog chamber for a variety of dark (i.e., O3 and NO3) and UV (i.e., OH) conditions, with OH concentration levels of (0.5–5) × 106 molecules cm−3, achieving equivalent atmospheric aging of up to 18 h. An aerosol mass spectrometer characterized the direct OA emissions and the SOA formed from the combustion of three wood species (birch, beech and spruce) using two ignition processes (fast ignition with a VOC-to-NOx ratio of 3 and slow ignition with a ratio of 5).Dark and UV aging increased the SOA mass fraction with average SOA productions 2.0 times the initial OA mass loadings. SOA enhancement was found to be higher for the slow ignition compared with fast ignition conditions. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to separate SOA, primary organic aerosol (POA) and their subgroups from the total OA mass spectra. PMF analysis identified two POA and three SOA factors that correlated with the three major oxidizers: ozone, the nitrate radical and the OH radical. Organonitrates (ONs) were observed to be emitted directly from the wood combustion and additionally formed during oxidation via NO3 radicals (dark aging), suggesting small-scale wood combustion may be a significant ON source. POA was oxidized after the ozone addition, forming aged POA, and after 7 h of aging more than 75 % of the original POA was transformed. This process may involve evaporation and homogeneous gas-phase oxidation as well as heterogeneous oxidation of particulate organic matter. The results generally prove that logwood burning emissions are the subject of intensive chemical processing in the atmosphere, and the timescale for these transformations is relatively short, i.e., hours.

A perturbed parameter model ensemble to investigate Mt. Pinatubo's 1991 initial sulfur mass emission

Abstract. We have performed more than 300 atmospheric simulations of the 1991 Pinatubo eruption using the AER 2-D sulfate aerosol model to optimize the initial sulfur mass injection as a function of altitude, which in previous modeling studies has often been chosen in an ad hoc manner (e.g., by applying a rectangular-shaped emission profile). Our simulations are generated by varying a four-parameter vertical mass distribution, which is determined by a total injection mass and a skew-normal distribution function. Our results suggest that (a) the initial mass loading of the Pinatubo eruption is approximately 14 Mt of SO2; (b) the injection vertical distribution is strongly skewed towards the lower stratosphere, leading to a peak mass sulfur injection at 18–21 km; (c) the injection magnitude and height affect early southward transport of the volcanic clouds as observed by SAGE II.

Occurrence, fate and risk assessment of parabens and their chlorinated derivatives in an advanced wastewater treatment plant

In the present study, parabens, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) and chlorinated derivatives, were simultaneously determined in wastewater and sludge samples along the whole process in an advanced wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Nine target compounds were detected in this WWTP, and methylparaben and PHBA were the dominant compounds in these samples. It is noteworthy that octylparaben with longer chain was firstly detected in this work. Mass balance results showed that 91.8% of the initial parabens mass loading was lost mainly due to degradation, while the contribution of sorption and output of primary and excess sludge was much less (7.5%), indicating that biodegradation played a significant role in the removal of parabens during the conventional treatment process. Specifically, parabens were mainly degraded in the anaerobic tank, and PHBA could be effectively removed at high rates after the advanced treatment. However, both biodegradation and adsorption accounted for minor contribution to the removal of chlorinated parabens during conventional treatment process, and they were only scantly removed by conventional treatment (33.9–40.7%) and partially removed by advanced treatment (59.2–82.8%). Risk assessment indicated that parabens and their chlorinated derivatives in second and tertiary effluent are not likely to produce biological effects on aquatic ecosystems.

Occurrence and fate of select psychoactive pharmaceuticals and antihypertensives in two wastewater treatment plants in New York State, USA

The fates of psychoactive pharmaceuticals, including two antischizophrenics, six sedative–hypnotic–anxiolytics, four antidepressants, four antihypertensives, and their select metabolites, were determined in two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Albany area of New York. All target psychoactive pharmaceuticals and their metabolites were found at a mean concentration that ranged from 0.98 (quetiapine) to 1220ng/L (atenolol) in wastewater and from 0.26 (lorazepam) to 1490ng/g dry weight (sertraline) in sludge. In this study, the fraction of psychoactive pharmaceuticals that was sorbed to suspended particulate matter (SPM) was calculated for the first time. Over 50% of the total mass of aripiprazole, norquetiapine, norsertraline, citalopram, desmethyl citalopram, propranolol, verapamil, and norverapamil was found sorbed to SPM in the influent. The mass loadings, i.e., influx, of target psychoactive pharmaceuticals in WWTPs ranged from 0.91 (diazepam) to 347mg/d/1000 inhabitants (atenolol), whereas the environmental emissions ranged from 0.01 (dehydro-aripiprazole) to 316mg/d/1000 inhabitants (atenolol). The highest calculated removal efficiencies were found for antischizophrenics (quetiapine=88%; aripiprazole=71%). However, the removal of some psychoactive pharmaceuticals through adsorption onto sludge was minimal (<1% of the initial mass load), which suggests that bio-degradation and/or chemical-transformation are the dominant mechanisms of removal of these pharmaceuticals in WWTPs.

Green walnut shell as a new material for removal of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions

The removal of aqueous hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) by green walnut shell (GWS) was investigated in batch experiments. GWS is a readily available and low-cost horticulture solid waste. The efficiency of this biomass for Cr(VI) removal as impacted by various operational parameters was characterized. Tested parameters are: initial solution pH (pH0), initial GWS mass loading ([GWS] (g L− 1)), contact time (t (min)), GWS particle size (d (μm)), initial Cr(VI) concentration ([Cr(VI)]0 (mg L− 1)), and ionic strength (I(M)). Results revealed that Cr(VI) chemical reduction (to Cr(III)) followed by adsorption or surface precipitation is the removal mechanism. The optimal operational conditions for Cr(VI) removal from 50 mL of a [Cr(VI)]0 = 10 mg L−1 solution were: pH0 = 3.6, t = 5 min, [GWS] = 6 g L−1, and I = 0.1 M. The corresponding removal efficiency was 95%. The kinetic of the reaction was also studied. Results indicate that using GWS is an affordable, efficient, and applicable method for aqueous Cr(VI) removal and thus a low-cost material for water treatment.

Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in dilute gas-particle mixtures with re-shock

The Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) is investigated in a dilute gas-particle mixture using three-dimensional numerical simulations. This work extends an earlier two-dimensional study [S. Ukai, K. Balakrishnan, and S. Menon, “On Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in dilute gas-particle mixtures,” Phys. Fluids 22, 104103 (2010)] to a larger parameter space consisting of variations in the mass loading and the particle size as well as considering both single-mode and multi-mode interface initializations. In addition, the effect of the presence of particles on re-shock RMI is also investigated. Single-phase numerical predictions of the mixing layer growth-rate are shown to compare well to both experimental and theoretical results. In a dilute gas-particle mixture, the initial growth-rate of RMI shows similar trends compared to previous work; however, the current numerical predictions show that there is an observable increase, not previously predicted, in the growth of the mixing layer at higher mass loadings. For the range of cases considered, an increase as much as 56% is observed. This increase is attributed to additional vorticity production in the mixing layer resulting from inter-phase momentum coupling. Moreover, the presence of particles introduces a continuous drag on the gas-phase resulting in a delay in the time at which re-shock occurs. This delay, which is observed to be as much as 6%, is largest for higher initial mass loadings and smaller particle radii and has a corresponding effect on both the growth-rate of the mixing-layer after re-shock and the final width of the mixing layer. A new semi-analytical correlation is developed and verified against the numerical data to predict the re-shocked RMI growth-rate in dilute gas-particle flows. The correlation shows that the re-shock RMI growth-rate is linearly proportional to the velocity jump at re-shock, the molecular mixing fraction, and the multi-phase Atwood number. Depending on the initial mass loading and particle radii, the re-shock RMI growth-rates were observed to be reduced by as much as 48% in some cases with variations of around 26% in the width of the mixing layer after re-shock.

Physical properties of simulated galaxy populations at z = 2 – I. Effect of metal-line cooling and feedback from star formation and AGN

We use hydrodynamical simulations from the OverWhelmingly Large Simulations (OWLS) project to investigate the dependence of the physical properties of galaxy populations at redshift 2 on metal-line cooling and feedback from star formation and active galactic nuclei (AGN). We find that if the sub-grid feedback from star formation is implemented kinetically, the feedback is only efficient if the initial wind velocity exceeds a critical value. This critical velocity increases with galaxy mass and also if metal-line cooling is included. This suggests that radiative losses quench the winds if their initial velocity is too low. If the feedback is efficient, then the star formation rate is inversely proportional to the amount of energy injected per unit stellar mass formed (which is proportional to the initial mass loading for a fixed wind velocity). This can be understood if the star formation is self-regulating, i.e. if the star formation rate (and thus the gas fraction) increases until the outflow rate balances the inflow rate. Feedback from AGN is efficient at high masses, while increasing the initial wind velocity with gas pressure or halo mass allows one to generate galaxy-wide outflows at all masses. Matching the observed galaxy mass function requires efficient feedback. In particular, the predicted faint-end slope is too steep unless we resort to highly mass loaded winds for low-mass objects. Such efficient feedback from low-mass galaxies (M* ≪ 1010 M⊙) also reduces the discrepancy with the observed specific star formation rates, which are higher than predicted unless the feedback transitions from highly efficient to inefficient just below M* ∼ 5 × 109 M⊙.

Behavior, Fate, and Mass Loading of Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in an Advanced Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant

Sewage treatment plants (STP) are an important source of short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) to the ambient environment through discharge of effluent and application of sludge. In this work, a field study was conducted to determine the behavior and possible removal of SCCPs during the sewage treatment process in an advanced municipal STP in Beijing, China. SCCPs were detected in all sewage water and sludge samples, and 97% of the initial mass loading in raw sewage was found to be associated with suspended matter. The total concentrations in raw influent, tertiary effluent, and dewatered sludge were 184 ± 19 ng/L, 27 ± 6 ng/L, and 15.6 ± 1.4 μg/g dry weight (d.w.), respectively. The dissolved concentrations of total SCCPs (∑SCCPs) significantly decreased during mechanical, biological, and chemical treatments. SCCP homologue profiles in aqueous phase were distinctly different from those in solid phase. Along the treatment process, the relative abundance of shorter chain and lower chlorinated congeners gradually increased in sewage water, but no obvious variations of homologue profiles were found in sludge. Mass flow analysis indicated, the removal efficiency in aqueous phase for ∑SCCPs was 82.2%, and the congener-specific removal efficiencies were positively related to their solid-water partition coefficients (K(d)). Mass balance results indicated that 0.8% and 72.6% of the initial SCCP mass loading were ultimately found in the effluents and dewatered sludge, respectively, while the remaining 26.6% was lost mainly due to biodegradation/biotransformation. It was suggested that the activated sludge system including basic anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic processes played an effective role in removing SCCPs from the wastewater, while the sorption to sludge by hydrophobic interactions was an important fate of SCCPs during the sewage treatment.

An ex situ evaluation of TBA- and MTBE-baited bio-traps

Aquifer microbial communities can be investigated using Bio-traps® (“bio-traps”), passive samplers containing Bio-Sep® beads (“bio-beads”) that are deployed in monitoring wells to be colonized by bacteria delivered via groundwater flow through the well. When bio-beads are “baited” with organic contaminants enriched in 13C, stable isotope probing allows assessment of the composition and activity of the microbial community. This study used an ex situ system fed by groundwater continuously extracted from an adjacent monitoring well within an experimentally-created aerobic zone treating a tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) plume. The goal was to evaluate aspects of bio-trap performance that cannot be studied quantitatively in situ. The measured groundwater flow through a bio-trap housing suggests that such traps might typically “sample” about 1.8 L per month. The desorption of TBA or methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) bait from bio-traps during a typical deployment duration of 6 weeks was approximately 90% and 45%, respectively, of the total initial bait load, with initially high rate of mass loss that decreased markedly after a few days. The concentration of TBA in groundwater flowing by the TBA-baited bio-beads was estimated to be as high as 3400 mg/L during the first few days, which would be expected to inhibit growth of TBA-degrading microbes. Initial inhibition was also implied for the MTBE-baited bio-trap, but at lower concentrations and for a shorter time. After a few days, concentrations in groundwater flowing through the bio-traps dropped below inhibitory concentrations but remained 4–5 orders of magnitude higher than TBA or MTBE concentrations within the aquifer at the experimental site. Desorption from the bio-beads during ex situ deployment occurred at first as predicted by prior sorption analyses of bio-beads but with apparent hysteresis thereafter, possibly due to mass transfer limitations caused by colonizing microbes. These results suggest that TBA- or MTBE-baited bio-traps could be baited at lower initial total mass loading with no detriment to trapping ability. The bio-traps were able to collect detectable amounts of microbial DNA and thus allow some insight into the sparse microbial community present in the aquifer during remediation of the low concentration plume.

Antimicrobial effects of nanofiber poly(caprolactone) tissue scaffolds releasing rifampicin

This study quantified the antibiotic release kinetics and subsequent bactericidal efficacy of rifampicin (RIF) against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria under in vitro static conditions. Antibiotic-loaded scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning poly(caprolactone) (PCL) with 10% or 20% (w/w) RIF. Scaffold fiber diameter and RIF loading were characterized, and RIF release kinetics were measured. RIF-releasing and RIF-free scaffolds were inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis, and the suspended concentration live and dead bacteria were determined by fluorescent microscopy. Adherent bacteria and biofilm formation were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Mean fiber diameters were 557 ± 399 nm for RIF-free, 402 ± 225 nm for 10% RIF, and 665 ± 402 nm for 20% RIF scaffolds. RIF release kinetics exhibited a short-burst release during the first hour, followed by a 7 h, zero-order release during which both RIF scaffolds released ~50% of their initial RIF mass loading. P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis suspended cell populations proliferated in accordance with logarithmic growth models when exposed to control scaffolds; however both RIF-containing scaffolds completely inhibited bacterial growth in suspension and, subsequently, prevented biofilm formation within the scaffolds through the first 6 h.

Effect of slurry properties and operational conditions on the structure and properties of porcelain tile granules dried in an acoustic levitator

Spray-drying is a unit operation highly important in many industrial applications. In this work, the influence of the drying conditions on the final grain properties has been investigated in single droplet experiments. Porcelain tile suspensions like those used in industry have been used. The experiments have been carried out in an acoustic levitator modified to work at high temperature conditions. The effect of the flocculation state, initial solid mass load, primary particle size, air temperature and initial droplet volume on the mean porosity of the grain and its mechanical strength has been studied. The most important parameters to be considered for the porosity are the primary particle size, the initial solid mass load and the flocculation state. For the mechanical strength the significant effects are the primary particle size, the initial solid mass load, the air temperature and the cross effect of flocculation state and initial solid mass load.

Numerical Model to Characterize the Size Increase of Combination Drug and Hygroscopic Excipient Nanoparticle Aerosols

Enhanced excipient growth is a newly proposed respiratory delivery strategy in which submicrometer or nanometer particles composed of a drug and hygroscopic excipient are delivered to the airways in order to minimize extrathoracic depositional losses and maximize lung retention. The objective of this study was to develop a validated mathematical model of aerosol size increase for hygroscopic excipients and combination excipient-drug particles and to apply this model to characterize growth under typical respiratory conditions. Compared with in vitro experiments, the droplet growth model accurately predicted the size increase of single component and combination drug and excipient particles. For typical respiratory drug delivery conditions, the model showed that droplet size increase could be effectively correlated with the product of a newly defined hygroscopic parameter and initial volume fractions of the drug and excipient in the particle. A series of growth correlations was then developed that successively included the effects of initial drug and excipient mass loadings, initial aerosol size, and aerosol number concentration. Considering EEG delivery, large diameter growth ratios (2.1-4.6) were observed for a range of hygroscopic excipients combined with both hygroscopic and non-hygroscopic drugs. These diameter growth ratios were achieved at excipient mass loadings of 50% and below and at realistic aerosol number concentrations. The developed correlations were then used for specifying the appropriate initial mass loadings of engineered insulin nanoparticles in order to achieve a predetermined size increase while maximizing drug payload and minimizing the amount of hygroscopic excipient.

Study of the drying behavior of high load multiphase droplets in an acoustic levitator at high temperature conditions

Experimental data on the drying behavior of suspension droplets is limited, despite its importance in industrial applications for material processing, chemical or the food industry involving spray dryers. This fact is particularly significant for high load and temperature conditions, as found in such industrial applications. In this work, the drying behavior of acoustically levitated multiphase droplets has been experimentally investigated. The acoustic tube levitator has been modified in order to allow experiments to be performed at high temperature conditions. The flow rate, temperature and relative humidity of this air stream can be controlled by an air conditioning system. A CMOS camera and a back-light illumination system are used to measure the droplet cross-sectional area and vertical position of the droplet during the drying process. The experiments have been performed using water–glass particle suspensions. The glass particles have a mean particle size and relative density of 13 μm and 2.5, respectively. The effect of the air temperature (60 °C< T<120 °C), initial volume of the droplet (0.05 μl< V 0<0.7 μl), initial solid mass load (0.01< Y S <0.5) and relative humidity of the air (0.05< HR<0.45) on the mean porosity of the grain, first drying period duration and liquid evaporation rate has been analyzed by means of a parametric screening matrix and also by means of a central composite design (CCD) experimental design. The most important parameters to be considered for the porosity and the drying behavior in the range of variables analyzed are the initial solid mass load and the initial droplet volume. The relative humidity of the air exerts a moderate influence on the drying behavior of the droplet and the temperature has only a very low impact on the mean porosity. In addition, particular attention should be given to the drying behavior of small droplets, which result in a very low mean porosity values for high solid mass loads. The CCD confirms that the initial droplet volume, the solid mass load and their interaction exert significant influence on the three responses.

Clustering and combustion of dilute aluminum particle clouds in a post-detonation flow field

A hybrid two-phase numerical methodology is used to investigate the flow-field subsequent to the detonation of a spherical charge of TNT with an ambient distribution of a dilute cloud of aluminum particles. The interaction of the particle cloud with the contact surface results in Rayleigh–Taylor instability, which grows in time and gives rise to a mixing layer where the detonation products mix with the air and afterburn. At early times, the ambient particles get engulfed into the detonation products and ignite. Subsequently, they catch up with the Rayleigh–Taylor structures, and the vortex rings around the hydrodynamic structures cause transverse dispersion that results in the clustering of particles. Then, the particles leave the mixing layer and quench, yet preserve their hydrodynamic foot print. Preferential heating and combustion of particles occurs due to clustering. A higher initial mass loading in the ambient cloud results in larger clusters due to stronger/larger vortex rings around the hydrodynamic structures. A larger particle size results in the formation of fewer and degenerate clusters when the initial width of the cloud is larger. A theoretical model is used to predict the bubble amplitudes, and are in good accordance with the simulation results. Overall, this study has provided some useful insights on the explosive dispersal of dilute aluminum particle clouds and the gas dynamics of the flow field in the mixing layer.

On turbulent chemical explosions into dilute aluminum particle clouds

We use a hybrid two-phase numerical methodology to investigate the flow-field subsequent to the detonation of a spherical charge of TNT with an ambient distribution of a dilute cloud of aluminum particles. Rayleigh–Taylor instability ensues on the contact surface that separates the inner detonation products and the outer shock-compressed air due to interphase interaction, which grows in time and results in a mixing layer where the detonation products afterburn with the air. At early times, the ambient particles are completely engulfed into the detonation products, where they pick up heat and ignite, pick up momentum and disperse. Subsequently, as they disperse radially outwards, they interact with the temporally growing Rayleigh–Taylor structures, and the vortex rings around the hydrodynamic structures results in the clustering of the particles by also introducing local transverse dispersion. Then the particles leave the mixing layer and quench, yet preserve their hydrodynamic ‘footprint’ even until much later; due to this clustering, preferential heating and combustion of particles is observed. With a higher initial mass loading in the ambient cloud, larger clusters are observed due to stronger/larger hydrodynamic structures in the mixing layer – a direct consequence of more particles available to perturb the contact surface initially. With a larger particle size in the initial cloud, clustering is not observed, but when the initial cloud is wider, fewer and degenerate clusters are observed. We identify five different phases in the dispersion of the particles: (1) engulfment phase; (2) hydrodynamic instability-interaction phase; (3) first vortex-free dispersion phase; (4) reshock phase; and (5) second vortex-free dispersion phase. Finally, a theoretical Buoyancy-Drag model is used to predict the growth pattern of the ‘bubbles’ and is in agreement with the simulation results. Overall, this study has provided some useful insights on the post-detonation explosive dispersal of dilute aluminum particle clouds.

On the Role of Ambient Reactive Particles in the Mixing and Afterburn behind Explosive Blast Waves

A hybrid two-phase numerical methodology is used to study the propagation of explosive blast waves from spherical charges of TNT and their interaction with an ambient dilute distribution of aluminum particles. The presence of these particles is found to cause perturbations at the contact surface between the inner detonation products and the outer shock-compressed air, which results in Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities at the contact surface. These instabilities grow in time, thereby creating a mixing layer characterized by enhanced mixing between the detonation products and air, resulting in afterburn. The afterburn energy release is observed to affect the pressure decay rate behind the blast wave and the speed and the strength of the secondary shock. The passage of the secondary shock through the mixing layer results in a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability, which is characterized by the creation of vorticity in the mixing layer through baroclinic torque effects. This phenomenon is observed to sustain the mixing process subsequently. The amount of mixing and afterburn are investigated for a range of aluminum particle sizes, mass loading, and initial distribution, and the role played by these particles in the growth of hydrodynamic instabilities is studied. It is shown that for the range of sizes investigated, particle size does not play a significant role in the mixing, but the initial distribution and mass loading do have appreciable impact. Furthermore, the late stages of the afterburn are observed to be self-similar, and independent of the initial triggering of the hydrodynamic instabilities. This study has provided some useful insights on the instabilities induced by ambient reactive particles in detonation flowfields and establishes a simulation capability to study turbulent two-phase processes in an explosive environment.

Direct numerical simulation of diluted combustion by evaporating droplets

Diluted combustion has been studied using DNS in a three-dimensional temporally developing reacting shear-layer with the oxidizer stream laden with evaporating droplets. The gaseous phase is described in the Eulerian frame while the discrete droplet phase is treated in the Lagrangian frame, with strong two-way coupling between the two phases through mass, momentum and energy exchange. Grid-resolution-independent results have been obtained in cases without and with droplets. A comprehensive parametric study has been conducted by varying the initial Stokes number ( St 0) and mass loading ratio (MLR 0). Detailed field analysis has been conducted to examine the complex nonlinear interactions among droplet dynamics, evaporation, turbulence and combustion, and so on. Effects of evaporating droplets on averaged flow and combustion quantities have also been presented. In particular, the conditional scalar dissipation rate is found to be enhanced by evaporating droplets, which suggests that they can promote micromixing and combustion under certain conditions, in addition to their roles in combustion suppression. The transport equation for the mixture fraction variance Z ″ 2 ∼ has been analyzed, with a focus on the vaporization-related source terms. Such source terms exhibit more complex local variations in the present shear-flow non-premixed flame configuration, compared with the case in the homogeneous decaying turbulence configuration of Réveillon and Vervisch (2000).

Prompt ionospheric/magnetospheric responses 29 October 2003 Halloween storm: Outflow and energization

3D multifluid simulations of the 29 October 2003 Halloween storm show the event to be a good example of conditions which lead to prompt penetration of solar wind electric field into the magnetosphere and prompt acceleration of heavy ionospheric ions. Causal relationships are established that tie solar wind conditions to ionospheric/magnetospheric responses, and the results are correlated with features in both IMAGE/HENA data and AMIE cross‐polar cap potential. The simulations are able to capture the AMIE potentials. Difference between model results and AMIE data can be attributed to the ability of the model to capture fast enhancements in the convective electric field that can be tied with the IMF variations. The total auroral currents show a smoother profile, with the magnetosphere acting like an inductor. A period of southward IMF with simultaneous rapid By rotation leads to the largest currents and ionospheric outflows. These outflows produce an initial ionospheric mass loading of the magnetosphere and originate from the dayside cusp/cleft region. During this period the energization of O+ lags that of H+, consistent with that seen in the HENA data. Once the ionospheric outflows mass load the magnetosphere, prompt acceleration of O+ is seen simultaneous with H+ acceleration. This prompt response is due to the acceleration of O+ ions that have previously flowed into the magnetosphere. The enhanced convective electric field, also leads to enhanced ionospheric outflows that resupply ionospheric ions into the magnetosphere. During this period of resupply, the nightside auroral zone becomes an important contributor to the outflows.