Welding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using dynamically controlled plasma arc welding process

A novel dynamically controlled plasma arc welding process was introduced,which is able tominimize heat input into the workpiece materials while maintaining desired full penetration,and it was used to weld Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheets.The microstructures,facture surfaces and microhardness of the welded joints were characterized by using optical microscope,scanning electron microscope （SEM） and Vickers microhardness tester.Comparing with welds such as gas tungsten arc and conventional plasma arc processes,the experimental results revealed the improvements when using the present process including：1） reducing prior-beta （β） grain size and prohibiting formation of hard martensite phases in the fusion zone due to the decreased heat input;and 2） better toughness and higher hardness.

Measurement of Plasma Density Produced in Dielectric Barrier Discharge for Active Aerodynamic Control with Interferometer

We utilize an interferometer to investigate the changes of the refractive index caused by dielectric barrier discharge plasma. The electronic density of the plasma produced is measured and analyzed tentatively. The results show that density of the plasma increases linearly with exciting voltages.

Influence of sample temperature on the expansion dynamics of laser-induced germanium plasma

In this paper, we investigated the influence of sample temperature on the expansion dynamics and the optical emission spectroscopy of laser-induced plasma, and Ge was selected as the test sample. The target was heated from room temperature（22 °C） to 300 °C, and excited in atmospheric environment by using a Q-Switched Nd：YAG pulse laser with the wavelength of 1064 nm. To study the plasma expansion dynamics, we observed the plasma plume at different laser energies（5.0, 7.4 and 9.4 mJ）and different sample temperatures by using time-resolved image. We found that the heated target temperature could accelerate the expansion of plasma plume. Moreover, we also measured the effect of target temperature on the optical emission spectroscopy and signal-to-noise ratio.

Nonlinear Dynamics in a Nonextensive Complex Plasma with Viscous Electron Fluids

Cylindrical and spherical dust-electron-acoustic （DEA） shock waves and double layers in an unmagnetized, col- lisionless, complex or dusty plasma system are carried out. The plasma system is assumed to be composed of inertial and viscous cold electron fluids, nonextensive distributed hot electrons, Maxwellian ions, and negatively charged stationary dust grains. The standard reductive perturbation technique is used to derive the nonlinear dynamical equations, that is, the nonplanar Burgers equation and the nonplanar further Burgers equation. They are also numerically analyzed to investigate the basic features of shock waves and double layers （DLs）. It is observed that the roles of the viscous cold electron fluids, nonextensivity of hot electrons, and other plasma parameters in this investigation have significantly modified the basic features （such as, polarity, amplitude and width） of the nonplanar DEA shock waves and DLs. It is also observed that the strength of the shock is maximal for the spherical geometry, intermediate for cylindrical geometry, while it is minimal for the planar geometry. The findings of our results obtained from this theoretical investigation may be useful in understanding the nonlinear phenomena associated with the nonplanar DEA waves in both space and laboratory plasmas.

Regulation of the density distribution of a strongly dissipative plasma by a pulsed magnetic field

A pulsed transverse magnetic field with pulse width of 12 ms and magnitude of 2 T was used to modify the density distribution of a weakly-ionized plasma flow with strong collisions between the charged particles and neutrals.The morphology of the plasma is changed substantially,with the density increased upstream and decreased downstream.Meanwhile,the plasma toward the axis contracts laterally and gradually converges to a collimated flow.In addition,a drift wave is observed to be excited in the inhomogeneous plasma by the magnetic field.

The ablation characteristics of laser-assisted pulsed plasma thruster with metal propellant

In this study,a laser-assisted pulsed plasma thruster(LA-PPT)with a novel configuration is proposed as an electric propulsion thruster which separates laser ablation and electromagnetic acceleration.Owing to the unique structure of the thruster,metals can also be used as propellants,and a higher specific impulse is expected.The ablation quality,morphology,and plume distribution of various metals(aluminium alloy,red copper,and carbon steel)with different laser energies were studied experimentally.The ablation morphology and plume distribution of red copper were more uniform,as compared to those of other metals,and the ablation quality was higher,indicating its greater suitability for LA-PPT.The plume generated by nanosecond laser ablation of aluminium alloy expanded faster,which indicated that the response time of the thruster with aluminium alloy as the propellant was shorter.In addition,when the background pressure was 0.005 Pa,an obvious plume splitting phenomenon was observed in the ablation plume of the pulsed laser irradiating aluminium alloy,which may significantly reduce the utilisation rate of the propellant.

Hollow hexagonal pattern with surface discharges in a？dielectric barrier discharge

The hollow hexagonal pattern involved in surface discharges is firstly investigated in a？dielectric barrier discharge system. The spatiotemporal structures of the pattern are studied using an intensified charge-coupled device and photomultiplier. Instantaneous images taken by an intensified charge-coupled device and optical correlation measurements show that the surface discharges are induced by volume discharges. The optical signals indicate that the discharge filaments constituting the hexagonal frame discharge randomly at the first current pulse or the second pulse, once？or twice. There is no？interleaving of several sub-lattices, which indicates that the ‘memory＇ effect is no longer in force due to surface discharges. By using the emission spectrum method, both the molecule vibration temperature？and electron density of the surface discharges are larger than that of the volume discharges.

Stokes Representation for the Solutions of Maxwell-Vlasov

Maxwell-Vlasov PDEs system describes the dynamics of plasma consisting of charged particles with long-range inter-action. Their solutions can be written using some Stokes potentials. Section 1 presents the experimental devices which can produce a magnetic trap. Magnetic geometric dynamic provides mathematical tools for describing the magnetic flow (see [1-7]). Stokes representation for the solutions of PDEs as Maxwell PDEs or Maxwell-Vlasov PDEs are used analyzing electromagnetic energy in magnetic traps. Section 2 studies Maxwell-Vlasov PDEs system. Stokes represen-tation of its solutions, using Maximum Principle for a multitime optimal control problem, is obtained. Section 3 dis-cusses a method for changing a given ODEs system into a geodesic motion under a gyroscopic field of forces (geomet-ric dynamics). Section 4 proposes a modified form for Maxwell-Vlasov PDEs, by replacing the classical gyroscopic force with the one appearing in geometric dynamics. Stokes representation for the solutions of modified Max-well-Vlasov PDEs is also obtained.

Plasmaspheric trough evolution under different conditions of subauroral ion drift

The statistical characteristics of the subauroral ion drift (SAID) in the ionosphere and the plasmaspheric trough evolution under different conditions of SAID were investigated in this paper, based on 566 SAID events observed by Akebono, Astrid-2, DE-2, and Freja satellites. The relationships between the latitudinal location of SAID and the Kp, AL, and Dst indices for these events were also discussed. It was found that the SAID events happened mainly at invariant latitude (ILAT) of 60.4° and magnetic local time (MLT) of 21.6 MLT and that 92.4% of the events happened when the Kp index was below 5.0, indicating a medium geomagnetic activity. The latitudinal half-width of SAID varied from 0.5° to 3.0° with a typical half-width of 1.0°. The SAID would happen at low latitudes if the geomagnetic activity was high. The effects of SAID on equatorial outer plas- masphere trough evolutions were studied with the dynamic global core plasma model (DGCPM) driven by the statistical results of SAID signatures. It was noted that locations, shapes and density of troughs vary with ILAT, MLT, latitudinal width, cross polar cap potential and lifetime of SAID events. The evolution of a trough is determined by the extent of SAID electric field penetrating into plasmasphere and not all SAID events can result in trough formations.