Effect of a negative DC bias on a capacitively coupled Ar plasma operated at different radiofrequency voltages and gas pressures

The effect of a negative DC bias,|V_(dc)|,on the electrical parameters and discharge mode is investigated experimentally in a radiofrequency(RF)capacitively coupled Ar plasma operated at different RF voltage amplitudes and gas pressures.The electron density is measured using a hairpin probe and the spatio-temporal distribution of the electron-impact excitation rate is determined by phase-resolved optical emission spectroscopy.The electrical parameters are obtained based on the waveforms of the electrode voltage and plasma current measured by a voltage probe and a current probe.It was found that at a low|V_(dc)|,i.e.inα-mode,the electron density and RF current decline with increasing|V_(dc)|;meanwhile,the plasma impedance becomes more capacitive due to a widened sheath.Therefore,RF power deposition is suppressed.When|V_(dc)|exceeds a certain value,the plasma changes toα–γhybrid mode(or the discharge becomes dominated by theγ-mode),manifesting a drastically growing electron density and a moderately increasing RF current.Meanwhile,the plasma impedance becomes more resistive,so RF power deposition is enhanced with|V_(dc)|.We also found that the electrical parameters show similar dependence on|V_(dc)|at different RF voltages,andα–γmode transition occurs at a lower|V_(dc)|at a higher RF voltage.By increasing the pressure,plasma impedance becomes more resistive,so RF power deposition and electron density are enhanced.In particular,theα–γmode transition tends to occur at a lower|V_(dc)|with increase in pressure.

Evaluation of the intraoperative trauma degree and postoperative speech function of low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery treatment of children with OSAHS

Objective:To evaluate the intraoperative trauma degree and postoperative speech function of low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery treatment of children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).Methods: A total of 118 children with OSAHS were divided into the control group (n=59) who received general surgery and the observation group (n=59) who received the low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery according to the random number table. Before operation and 24 h after operation, serum levels of stress hormones, acute phase proteins and inflammatory markers of two groups of children were determined, and the speech function parameter levels were assessed.Results:Before operation, differences in serum contents of stress hormones, acute phase proteins and inflammatory factors as well as speech function parameter levels were not statistically significant between two groups of patients. 24 h after operation, serum stress hormones adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), angiotensin-2 (Ang-2), norepinephrine (NE), cortisol (Cor) contents of observation group were lower than those of control group, serum acute phase proteins haptoglobin (HP), ceruloplasmin (CER), and prealbumin (PA) contents were lower than those of control group, and serum inflammatory factors interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-27 (IL-27), tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α) contents were lower than those of control group;speech function parameters NNE and NHR levels of observation group were higher than those of control group.Conclusion:Compared with routine surgery, low-temperature plasma radiofrequency surgery treatment of children with OSAHS causes less surgical trauma and more greatly improves the postoperative speech level.

Perioperative Nursing Observation of Plasma Radiofrequency Ablation for Treatment of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniation

Objective:To observe and analyze the perioperative nursing effect of plasma radiofrequency ablation for treatment of lumbar disc herniation.Methods:A total of 100 patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation received from October 2017 to October 2020 were selected and randomly divided into two groups with 50 cases in each group.The control group received the conventional nursing model and the experimental group received the comprehensive nursing model.The two groups of nursing care were compared on satisfaction,SDS and SAS scores before and after treatment,VAS score and JOA score before and after treatment,and treatment effect.Results:The nursing satisfaction of the experimental group,SDS and SAS scores before and after treatment,VAS score and JOA score before and after treatment,and the treatment effect were better than those of the control group.The difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:The comprehensive nursing model has a significant effect on the perioperative nursing of the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation by plasma radiofrequency ablation.More popularization and application will help improve the treatment effect.

Assessment of the intraoperative wound degree as well as postoperative immune function and ventilation function of plasma radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of adenoid hypertrophy

Objective:To study the intraoperative wound degree as well as postoperative immune function and ventilation function of plasma radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of adenoid hypertrophy.Methods: A total of 118 children with adenoid hypertrophy who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital between May 2013 and April 2016 were selected and divided into the control group (n=59) who accepted conventional endoscopic cutting aspirator and the observation group (n=59) who accepted the plasma radiofrequency ablation according to the single-blind randomized controlled method. Before and after operation, the levels of peripheral blood trauma-related indexes, humoral immunity and complement indexes as well as nasal ventilation function indexes were determined.Results:Before operation, the differences in trauma-related indexes, humoral immunity and complement indexes as well as nasal ventilation function indexes were not statistically significant between two groups of children. Immediately after operation, the peripheral blood SP, PGE2 and CRP contents of observation group were lower than those of control group;24 h after operation, peripheral blood IgG, IgM, IgA, C3 and C4 contents of observation group were lower than those of control group;1 week after operation, TIR and TER levels of observation group were lower than those of control group while NPV and MCSA levels were higher than those of control group.Conclusion:Plasma radiofrequency ablation for treatment of adenoid hypertrophy causes smaller intraoperative wound and has more advantages in optimizing the body's immune function and ventilation function.

Enhancing surface adhesion of polytetrafluoroethylene induced by two-step in-situ treatment with radiofrequency capacitively coupled Ar/Ar+CH_(4)+NH_(3) plasma

Although some progress in plasma modification of the polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) surface has been made recently,its adhesion strength still needs to be further improved.In this work,the surface of a PTFE sample was treated with a two-step in-situ method.Firstly,the PTFE surface was treated with capacitively coupled Ar plasma to improve its mechanical interlocking performance;then,Ar+NH_(3)+CH_(4) plasma was used to deposit an a-CNx:H cross-linking layer on the PTFE surface to improve the molecular bonding ability.After treatment,a high specific surface area of 2.20 and a low F/C ratio of 0.32 were achieved on the PTFE surface.Its surface free energy was increased significantly and its maximum adhesion strength reached77.1 N·10 mm^(-1),which is 56% higher than that of the single-step Ar plasma-treated sample and32% higher than that of the single-step Ar+CH_(4)+NH_(3) plasma-treated sample.

Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Inductively Coupled Plasma Sources for Space Propulsion

Evolution of geometric forms of antenna coils for radiofrequency(RF)inductively coupled plasma(ICP)sources is analyzed.Top effectiveness of flat ICPSs generating plasma"tablet"is shown.Especially effective are ICPSs using antenna coils enhanced with ferromagnetic cores(FMICPS).It is found that the design of flat ICPSs is simpler and more convenient for the arrangement of plasma diagnostics in comparison with ICPSs of other geometries.Effective flat FMICPS models of different diameters ranging from 10 cm to 100cm are considered.Recommendations are given for development engineers dealing with ICPS devices in general and with radio frequency ion thrusters(RITs)in particular.

An embedded electron current layer observed at the edge of the plasma sheet in the Earth’s magnetotail

The formation of an embedded electron current sheet within the magnetotail plasma sheet has been poorly understood.In this article,we present an electron current layer detected at the edge of the magnetotail plasma sheet.The ions were demagnetized inside the electron current layer,but the electrons were still frozen in with the magnetic field line.Thus,this decoupling of ions and electrons gave rise to a strong Hall electric field,which could be the reason for the formation of the embedded thin current layer.The magnetized electrons,the absence of the nongyrotropic electron distribution,and negligible energy dissipation in the layer indicate that magnetic reconnection had not been triggered within the embedded thin current layer.The highly asymmetric plasma on the two sides of the current layer and low magnetic shear across it could suppress magnetic reconnection.The observations indicate that the embedded electric current layer,probably generated by the Hall electric field,even down to electron scale,is not a sufficient condition for magnetic reconnection.

Statistical analysis on the validity of the cold plasma approximation for chorus waves based on Van Allen Probe observations and their effects on radiation belt electrons

Theoretical analysis has demonstrated that the dispersion relation of chorus waves plays an essential role in the resonant interaction and energy transformation between the waves and magnetospheric electrons.Previous quantitative analyses often simplified the chorus dispersion relation by using the cold plasma assumption.However,the applicability of the cold plasma assumption is doubtful,especially during geomagnetic disturbances.We here present a systematic statistical analysis on the validity of the cold plasma dispersion relation of chorus waves based on observations from the Van Allen Probes over the period from 2012 to 2018.The statistical results show that the observed magnetic field intensities deviate substantially from those calculated from the cold plasma dispersion relation and that they become more pronounced with an increase in geomagnetic activity or a decrease in background plasma density.The region with large deviations is mainly concentrated in the nightside and expands in both the radial and azimuthal directions as the geomagnetic activity increases or the background plasma density decreases.In addition,the bounce-averaged electron scattering rates are computed by using the observed and cold plasma dispersion relation of chorus waves.Compared with usage of the cold plasma dispersion relation,usage of the observed dispersion relation considerably lowers the minimum resonant energy of electrons and lowers the scattering rates of electrons above tens of kiloelectronvolts but enhances those below.Furthermore,these differences are more pronounced with the enhancement of geomagnetic activity or the decrease in background plasma density.

Storage time affects the level and diagnostic efficacy of plasma biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases

Several promising plasma biomarker proteins,such as amyloid-β(Aβ),tau,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein,are widely used for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.However,little is known about the long-term stability of these biomarker proteins in plasma samples stored at-80°C.We aimed to explore how storage time would affect the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers using a large cohort.Plasma samples from 229 cognitively unimpaired individuals,encompassing healthy controls and those experiencing subjective cognitive decline,as well as 99 patients with cognitive impairment,comprising those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia,were acquired from the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline project.These samples were stored at-80°C for up to 6 years before being used in this study.Our results showed that plasma levels of Aβ42,Aβ40,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein were not significantly correlated with sample storage time.However,the level of total tau showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.Notably,in individuals without cognitive impairment,plasma levels of total protein and tau phosphorylated protein threonine 181(p-tau181)also showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.This was not observed in individuals with cognitive impairment.Consequently,we speculate that the diagnostic accuracy of plasma p-tau181 and the p-tau181 to total tau ratio may be influenced by sample storage time.Therefore,caution is advised when using these plasma biomarkers for the identification of neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer's disease.Furthermore,in cohort studies,it is important to consider the impact of storage time on the overall results.

Leveraging ROTI map derived from Indonesian GNSS receiver network for advancing study of Equatorial Plasma Bubble in Southeast/East Asia

This paper highlights the crucial role of Indonesia’s GNSS receiver network in advancing Equatorial Plasma Bubble(EPB)studies in Southeast and East Asia,as ionospheric irregularities within EPB can disrupt GNSS signals and degrade positioning accuracy.Managed by the Indonesian Geospatial Information Agency(BIG),the Indonesia Continuously Operating Reference Station(Ina-CORS)network comprises over 300 GNSS receivers spanning equatorial to southern low-latitude regions.Ina-CORS is uniquely situated to monitor EPB generation,zonal drift,and dissipation across Southeast Asia.We provide a practical tool for EPB research,by sharing two-dimensional rate of Total Electron Content(TEC)change index(ROTI)derived from this network.We generate ROTI maps with a 10-minute resolution,and samples from May 2024 are publicly available for further scientific research.Two preliminary findings from the ROTI maps of Ina-CORS are noteworthy.First,the Ina-CORS ROTI maps reveal that the irregularities within a broader EPB structure persist longer,increasing the potential for these irregularities to migrate farther eastward.Second,we demonstrate that combined ROTI maps from Ina-CORS and GNSS receivers in East Asia and Australia can be used to monitor the development of ionospheric irregularities in Southeast and East Asia.We have demonstrated the combined ROTI maps to capture the development of ionospheric irregularities in the Southeast/East Asian sector during the G5 Geomagnetic Storm on May 11,2024.We observed simultaneous ionospheric irregularities in Japan and Australia,respectively propagating northwestward and southwestward,before midnight,whereas Southeast Asia’s equatorial and low-latitude regions exhibited irregularities post-midnight.By sharing ROTI maps from Indonesia and integrating them with regional GNSS networks,researchers can conduct comprehensive EPB studies,enhancing the understanding of EPB behavior across Southeast and East Asia and contributing significantly to ionospheric research.

Study of plasma parameters of coaxial plasma source using triple Langmuir probe and Faraday cup diagnostics

Coaxial plasma guns are a type of plasma source that produces plasma which propagates radially and axially controlled by the shape of the ground electrode, which has attracted much interest in several applications. In this work, a 120° opening angle of CPG nozzle is used as a plasma gun configuration that operates at the energy of 150 J. The ionization of polyethylene insulator between the electrodes of the gun produces a cloud of hydrogen and carbon plasma.The triple Langmuir probe and Faraday cup are used to measure plasma density and plasma temperature. These methods are used to measure the on-axis and off-axis plasma divergence of the coaxial plasma gun. The peak values of ion densities measured at a distance of 25 mm on-axis from the plasma gun are(1.6±0.5)×10^(19)m^(-3)and(2.8±0.6)×10^(19)m^(-3)for hydrogen and carbon plasma respectively and the peak temperature is 3.02±0.5 eV. The mean propagation velocity of plasma is calculated using the transit times of plasma at different distances from the plasma gun and is found to be 4.54±0.25 cm/μs and 1.81±0.18 cm/μs for hydrogen and carbon plasma respectively. The Debye radius is obtained from the measured experimental data that satisfies the thin sheath approximation. The shot-to-shot stability of plasma parameters facilitates the use of plasma guns in laboratory experiments. These types of plasma sources can be used in many applications like plasma opening switches, plasma devices, and as plasma sources.

Different bactericidal abilities of plasma-activated saline with various reactive species prepared by surface plasma-activated air and plasma jet combinations

Plasma-activated water(PAW),as an extended form of cold atmospheric-pressure plasma,greatly expands the application of plasma-based technology.The biological effects of PAW are closely related to the aqueous reactive species,which can be regulated by the activation process.In this study,surface plasma-activated air(SAA)and a He+O_(2)plasma jet(Jet)were parallelly combined(the SAA+Jet combination)or sequentially combined(the SAA→Jet combination and the Jet→SAA combination)to prepare plasma-activated saline(PAS).The PAS activated by the combinations exhibited stronger bactericidal effects than that activated by the SAA or the Jet alone.The concentrations of H_(2)O_(2)and NO_(2)^(-)were higher in the PAS activated by the Jet→SAA combination,while ONOO^(-)concentrations were close in the three kinds of PAS and^(1)O_(2)concentrations were higher in the PAS activated by the SAA+Jet combination.The analysis of scavengers also demonstrated that H_(2)O_(2),^(1)O_(2),and ONOO^(-)in the PAS activated by the SAA+Jet combination,and^(1)O_(2)in the PAS activated by the Jet→SAA combination played critical roles in bactericidal effects.Further,the effective placement time of the three PAS varied,and the PAS activated by the Jet→SAA combination could also inactivate 2.6-log_(10)of MRSA cells after placement for more than 60 min.The regulation of reactive species in plasma-activated water via different combinations of plasma devices could improve the directional application of plasma-activated water in the biomedical field.

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous transhepatic biliary radiofrequency ablation in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice

BACKGROUND Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage(PTCD)and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography/endoscopic nasobiliary drainage are the most common clinical procedures for jaundice control in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice,yet the safety and effect of endobiliary radiofrequency ablation(EB-RFA)combined PTCD is rarely reported,in this article,we report our experience of EB-RFA combined PTCD in such patients.AIM To retrospectively study the efficacy and safety of EB-RFA combined PTCD in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice.METHODS Patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice treated with EB-RFA under PTCD were selected,the bile ducts of the right posterior lobe was selected as the target bile ducts in all cases.The general conditions of all patients,preoperative tumour markers,total bilirubin(TBIL),direct bilirubin(DBIL),albumin(ALB),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),and glutamyl transferase(GGT)before and on the 7th day after the procedure,as well as perioperative complications,stent patency time and patient survival were recorded.RESULTS All patients successfully completed the operation,TBIL and DBIL decreased significantly in all patients at the 7th postoperative day(P=0.009 and 0.006,respectively);the values of ALB,ALP and GGT also decreased compared with the preoperative period,but the difference was not statistically significant.Perioperative biliary bleeding occurred in 2 patients,which was improved after transfusion of blood and other conservative treatments,pancreatitis appeared in 1 patient after the operation,no serious complication and death happened after operation.Except for 3 patients with loss of visits,the stent patency rate of the remaining 14 patients was 100%71%and 29%at the 1^(st),3^(rd),and 6^(th)postoperative months respectively,with a median survival of 4 months.CONCLUSION EB-RFA under PTCD in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice has a satisfactory therapeutic effect and high safety,which is worthy of further clinical practice.

Spark plasma sintering of tungsten-based WTaVCr refractory high entropy alloys for nuclear fusion applications

W-based WTaVCr refractory high entropy alloys (RHEA) may be novel and promising candidate materials for plasma facing components in the first wall and diverter in fusion reactors. This alloy has been developed by a powder metallurgy process combining mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The SPSed samples contained two phases, in which the matrix is RHEA with a body-centered cubic structure, while the oxide phase was most likely Ta2VO6through a combined analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD),energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The higher oxygen affinity of Ta and V may explain the preferential formation of their oxide phases based on thermodynamic calculations. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed an average grain size of 6.2μm. WTaVCr RHEA showed a peak compressive strength of 2997 MPa at room temperature and much higher micro-and nano-hardness than W and other W-based RHEAs in the literature. Their high Rockwell hardness can be retained to at least 1000°C.

Enhancing CO_(2) transport with plasma-functionalized ionic liquid membranes

The ionic liquid(IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate treated with radiofrequency plasma is proposed for functionalization and immobilization on polyethersulfone supports to form supported ionic liquid membranes for CO_(2) separation.The effects of treatment time and transmembrane pressure difference on CO_(2) permeance were evaluated.The best gas permeation performance was obtained with a treatment time of 10 min and the transmembrane pressure difference was 0.25 MPa.Characterization of the materials by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrates that the IL is grafted with carboxyl groups and deprotonated through plasma treatment.A preliminary mechanism for the plasma treatment and facilitated transport of CO_(2)has been proposed on this basis.

Final results of the first phase of the PROTO-SPHERA experiment: obtainment of the full current stable screw pinch and first evidences of the jet + torus combined plasma configuration

In astrophysics, the boundary conditions for plasma phenomena are provided by nature and the astronomer faces the problem of understanding them from a variety of observations [Hester J J et al 1996 Astrophys. J. 456 225], on the other hand, in laboratory plasma experiments the electromagnetic boundary conditions become a major problem in the set-up of the machine that produces the plasma, an issue that has to be investigated step by step and to be modified and adapted with great patience, in particular in the case of an innovative plasma confinement experiment. The PROTO-SPHERA machine [Alladio F et al 2006 Nucl. Fusion 46 S613] is a magnetic confinement experiment, that emulates in the laboratory the jet + torus plasma configurations often observed in astrophysics: an inner magnetized jet of plasma centered on the(approximate) axis of symmetry and surrounded by a magnetized plasma torus orthogonal to this jet. The PROTO-SPHERA plasma is simply connected, i.e., no metal current conducting rod is linked to the plasma torus, while instead it is the inner magnetized plasma jet(in the following always called the plasma centerpost) that is linked to the torus. It is mandatory that no spurious plasma current path modifies the optimal shape of the plasma centerpost. Moreover, as the plasma torus is produced and sustained, in absence of any applied inductive electric field, by the inner plasma centerpost through magnetic reconnections [Taylor J B and Turner M F 1989 Nucl.Fusion 29 219], it is required as well that spurious current paths do not surround the torus on its outboard, in order not to lower the efficiency of the magnetic reconnections that maintain the plasma torus at the expense of the plasma centerpost. Boundary conditions have been corrected,up to the point that the first sustainment in steady state has been achieved for the combined plasma.

The multi-peak point phenomenon of broadband microwave reflection caused by inhomogeneous plasma

During spacecraft re-entry,the challenge of measuring plasma sheath parameters directly contributes to difficulties in addressing communication blackout.In this work,we have discovered a phenomenon of multiple peaks in reflection data caused by the inhomogeneous plasma.Simulation results show that the multi-peak points fade away as the characteristic frequency is approached,resembling a series of gradually decreasing peaks.The positions and quantities of these points are positively correlated with electron density,yet they show no relation to collision frequency.This phenomenon is of significant reference value for future studies on the spatial distribution of plasmas,particularly for using microwave reflection signals in diagnosing the plasma sheath.

Experimental confirmation of the linear relation between plasma current and external vertical magnetic field in EXL-50 spherical torus energetic electron plasmas

A three-fluid equilibrium plasma with bulk plasma and energetic electrons has been observed on the Xuanlong-50(EXL-50) spherical torus, where the energetic electrons play a crucial role in sustaining the plasma current and pressure. In this study, the equilibrium of a multi-fluid plasma was investigated by analyzing the relationship between the external vertical magnetic field(B_(V)),plasma current(I_(p)), the poloidal ratio(β_(p)) and the Shafranov formula. Remarkably, our research demonstrates some validity of the Shafranov formula in the presence of multi-fluid plasma in EXL-50 spherical torus. This finding holds significant importance for future reactors as it allows for differentiation between alpha particles and background plasma. The study of multi-fluid plasma provides a significant reference value for the equilibrium reconstruction of burning plasma involving alpha particles.

Effect of matrix thermal properties on laser-induced plasma

The matrix thermal properties have an important impact on laser-induced plasma,as the thermal effect dominates the interaction between ns-pulsed laser and matter,especially in metals.We used a series of pure metals and aluminum alloys to measure plasma temperature and electron density through laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy,in order to investigate the effect of matrix thermal properties on laser-induced plasma.In pure metals,a significant negative linear correlation was observed between the matrix thermal storage coefficient and plasma temperature,while a weak correlation was observed with electron density.The results indicate that metals with low thermal conductivity or specific heat capacity require less laser energy for thermal diffusion or melting and evaporation,resulting in higher ablation rates and higher plasma temperatures.However,considering ionization energy,thermal effects may be a secondary factor affecting electron density.The experiment of aluminum alloy further confirms the influence of thermal conductivity on plasma temperature and its mechanism explanation.

Tunable energy spectrum betatron x-ray sources in a plasma wakefield

X-ray sources with tunable energy spectra have a wide range of applications in different scenarios due to their different penetration depths.However,existing x-ray sources face difficulties in terms of energy regulation.In this paper,we present a scheme for tuning the energy spectrum of a betatron x-ray generated from a relativistic electron bunch oscillating in a plasma wakefield.The center energy of the x-ray source can be tuned from several keV to several hundred keV by changing the plasma density,thereby extending the control range by an order of magnitude.At different central energies,the brightness of the betatron radiation is in the range of 3.7×10^(22)to 5.5×10^(22)photons/(0.1%BW·s·mm^(2)·mrad^(2))and the photon divergence angle is about 2 mrad.This high-brightness,energy-controlled betatron source could pave the way to a wide range of applications requiring photons of specific energy,such as phase-contrast imaging in medicine,non-destructive testing and material analysis in industry,and imaging in nuclear physics.