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X-ray spectroscopy is a useful tool for diagnosing plasma sources due to its non-invasive nature. One such source is the dense plasma focus (DPF). Recent interest has developed to demonstrate its potential application as a soft x-ray source. We present the first spectroscopic studies of krypton high energy density plasmas produced on a 3 kJ DPF device in Singapore. In order to diagnose spectral features, and to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of plasma parameters, a new non-local thermodynamic equilibrium L-shell kinetic model for krypton was developed. It has the capability of incorporating hot electrons, with different electron distribution functions, in order to examine the effects that they have on emission spectra. To further substantiate the validity of this model, it is also benchmarked with data gathered from experiments on the electron beam ion trap (EBIT) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where data were collected using the high resolution EBIT calorimeter spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental investigation was carried out to study the effects of noncircular collars on an axisymmetric jet using surface flow visualization and hot-wire anemometry. Circular, square, and triangular collars with expansion ratios of 1.20, 1.35, and 1.54, respectively, with collar lengths of up to two jet diameters were used. Flow visualization shows that circular collars led to equidistant flow reattachments along the collar wall, while square and triangular collars resulted in the formation of a pair of counter-rotating vortex-pairs on each side of the collar wall. These vortex-pairs are caused by the presence of the three-dimensional velocity gradients between locations of minimum and maximum step-heights, which drove fluid from the collar wall centerlines towards the corners. Time-averaged velocity measurements show that the circular collar required the shortest collar length to achieve maximum centerline velocity decay, followed by square and triangular collars. Centerline turbulence intensity and velocity spectra results reveal that all three collars were able to suppress vortex-pairing events when they were sufficiently long with the triangular collar being the most effective. Furthermore, the triangular collar also produces the widest overall jet-spread, ahead of square and circular collars, respectively, even though it demonstrates significantly different jet-spreads along planes of minimum and maximum step-height. Self-excitation frequencies from all three collars could be distinguished into distinct frequency bands with changes in the collar lengths. Within each band, the circular collar results in the largest variation of excitation frequency over the square and triangular collars, respectively. Lastly, square and triangular collars require wider ranges of collar lengths for each of the frequency bands, as compared to the circular collar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of heating rates and annealing temperatures on the transition temperatures (Tc) and critical current densities (Jc) of pure MgB2, carbon nanotube- and nano-SiC-doped in situ monofilamentary MgB2/Fe wires was investigated. It was found that higher Jc was obtained for pure MgB2 samples when heat treated with slower heating rates. SiC-doped samples also have higher Jc with slower heating rates, but the Jc is less sensitive to annealing temperatures. However, the Jc of the carbon nanotube-doped wire was found to be insensitive to heating rates. The variation in Tc and Jc with heating rate, and the different behaviors of differently doped MgB2/Fe wires, make it essential to carefully select the optimum heating rates for heat treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]