Bibliothek

Notizen: The formation, collapse and arrest of lower-hybrid wave packets are investigated analytically. The three-dimensional structure of the wave packet is incorporated in the analysis and its polarization is studied for the first time. Nonlinear collapse thresholds are obtained via a Hamiltonian formulation and are used in calculating the probability distribution of collapsing wave packet structures as a function of their polarization. Transit-time interaction theory is then used to calculate the arrest scale at which collapse is halted as the waves are damped. It is found that collapse thresholds are lowest for circularly polarized packets, but that nearly linearly polarized ones predominate in collapse because of their greater numbers in the linear phase of the evolution. It is argued that subsonic collapse persists until very near arrest, in accord with recent numerical simulations. Time scale analysis shows that the parallel field structure has difficulty in attaining its self-similar form in the available collapse time, also in accord with simulations. Transit-time theory implies that electrons travelling roughly parallel to the ambient magnetic field can arrest collapse at a scale comparable to that previously estimated for ions; which process dominates depends on the electron and ion temperatures and packet geometry. The resulting arrest scales are found to be in accord with the simulations. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notizen: Study of Langmuir collapse thresholds shows that they have little polarization dependence and that moving packets have the lowest thresholds in the undamped case. However, incorporation of damping into the density response inhibits collapse of packets moving at more than a small fraction of the sound speed. Investigation of energy transfer to packets localized in density wells—the nucleation process—shows that at most a few trapped states can exist and that energy transfer is most effective when there is a single barely-trapped state. Coupled with an argument that closely packed wave packets have lower collapse thresholds, this argument yields an estimate of the number density of localized nucleating states in a turbulent plasma. It also leads to a simple and direct semiquantitative estimate of the collapse threshold. All these results are in accord with previous numerical simulations incorporating ion-sound damping, which show a preponderance of slow-moving or stationary packets with little or no intrinsic polarization dependence of thresholds. Likewise, the number densities obtained are in good agreement with simulation values, and the simple estimate of the threshold is semiquantitatively correct. The extent of the agreement supports the nucleation scenario with close-packed nucleation sites in the turbulent state. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notizen: A Fokker–Planck theory is developed to describe the diffusion in momentum space of a beam of relativistic electrons due to multiple transit-time interactions with an ensemble of coherent Langmuir wave packets. The theory incorporates two ingredients: a perturbed-orbit calculation of the momentum change of a test particle during a single transit-time interaction, and an ensemble average of the resulting Fokker–Planck coefficients based on the statistical properties of strong Langmuir turbulence. An approximate analytic solution of the Fokker–Planck equation is obtained for the case of a strongly collimated beam, and is used to interpret measurements of energy and pitch-angle scattering in relativistic-electron-beam (REB) experiments. Fokker–Planck coefficients are also calculated for a weakly collimated beam. It is shown that the theory correctly predicts the amount of energy scattering in REB experiments, but underestimates the pitch-angle scattering regardless of the distribution of wave packet orientations and the degree of collimation of the beam. This discrepancy may be a product of the approximate wave-packet structure assumed in the analysis, or of systematic errors in the experimental data; alternatively, it may imply that a non-transit-time process is responsible for part of the pitch-angle scattering observed. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notizen: A two-component model of strongly nonlinear wave turbulence is developed for a broad class of systems in which high-frequency electrostatic waves interact with low-frequency sound-like waves. In this model coherent nonlinear wave packets form and collapse amid a sea of incoherent background waves. It is shown that three classes of turbulence exist, typified by Langmuir, lower-hybrid, and upper-hybrid turbulence. Balance between power input to incoherent waves, and dissipation at the end of collapse determines power-law scalings of turbulent electrostatic energy density, density fluctuations, length and time scales. Knowledge of the evolution of collapsing packets enables probability distributions of the magnitudes of electric fields and density fluctuations to be calculated, yielding power-law dependences. Wavenumber spectra of collapsing waves and associated density fluctuations are also calculated and shown to have power-law forms. Applications to Langmuir, lower-hybrid, and upper-hybrid waves are discussed. In the Langmuir case the results agree with earlier theory and simulations, with one exception, which is consistent only with earlier simulations. In the lower-hybrid and upper-hybrid cases, the results are consistent with the few simulations to date. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notizen: The coalescence of Langmuir waves to produce electromagnetic waves at twice the plasma frequency is considered. A simplified expression for the rate of production of second harmonic electromagnetic waves is obtained for a broad class of Langmuir spectra. In addition, two different analytic approximations are considered. The validity of the commonly used head-on approximation is explored, in which the two coalescing Langmuir waves are assumed to approach from opposite directions. This approximation breaks down at low Langmuir wavenumbers, and for narrow Langmuir wave spectra. A second, more general, approximation is introduced, called the narrow-spectrum approximation, which requires narrow spectral widths of the Langmuir spectra. The advantages of this approximation are that it does not break down at low Langmuir wavenumbers, and that it remains valid for relatively broad Langmuir wave spectra. Finally, the applicability of these approximations in treating harmonic radiation in type III solar radio bursts is discussed. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notizen: The transit-time power dissipated locally within a coherent wave packet in the presence of ambient and induced magnetic fields is calculated analytically as a function of position via a perturbed-orbit approach, generalizing earlier results for unmagnetized interactions. The theory is used to investigate local damping in a nonlinearly-collapsing lower-hybrid (LH) wave packet, and hence to estimate the arrest scale of LH wave collapse in a thermal electron-ion plasma. It is shown that either electrons or ions can dominate damping, depending on the strength of the magnetic field and the electron and ion temperatures. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notizen: Abstract Short-chain carboxylic acids (SCCA; C≤5: e.g., lactic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid) are metabolic by-products of bacterial metabolism which accumulate in the gingival crevice, and exhibit significant biological activity, including the ability to alter gene expression. It has been hypothesized that among the activities of SCCAs are their ability to contribute to gingival inflammation. This concept complements the notion that specific periodontal pathogens are the causative agents of gingival inflammation. To begin testing these 2 hypotheses, we examined the relationship between SCCA concentrations, specific putative periodontal pathogens, and gingival inflammation in medically healthy periodontally diseased subjects. We reasoned that if SCCAs and/or specific periodontal pathogens were causative gingival inflammatory agents, gingival inflammation should increase with increasing concentration of the inflammatory mediator. We also recognized that other clinical variables needed to be controlled for, and an objective quantitative assessment of gingival inflammation used. To accomplish these tasks, sites within subjects were stratified by location and pocket depth, and the following quantified: bacteria] presence; SCCA concentration: and gingival inflammation. The results indicated that gingival inflammation directly and significantly correlated with SCCA concentrations in the maxillary and mandibular molars, incisors and canines (all r≥0.47; all p≤ 0.015; too few bicuspids were available for complete analysis). The relationship between gingival inflammation and SCCA concentration was best described by a natural log relationship. Gingival inflammation did not, however, correlate positively with either the total number of specific putative periodontal pathogens, or the sum of subsets of these pathogens (−0.31 ≤r≤ 0.39; 0.08 ≤p 0.75) for any of the locations. Finally, the SCCA concentration did not correlate with the level of individual or groups of pathogens. These data, together with historical work and other preliminary data, support the hypothesis that SCCA, rather than specific putative periodontal pathogens, may be a causative agent in gingival inflammation. This work may, in part, begin to explain the apparent lack of a direct relationship between current gingival inflammation and the prediction of bacterially mediated periodontal attachment loss.

Notizen: A “window of expression” of a 38-kD cell-surface glycoprotein MH99 (KS 1/4 antigen) has been observed in dysplastic oral tissues using an MH99-specific monoclonal antibody. It appeared that expression of this epitope increases from baseline levels in normal oral epithelium to that of high levels in mild, moderate and severe dysplasia. In invasive squamous cell carcinoma, relatively low levels of expression were observed. In contrast, high levels of expression were demonstrated in basal cell carcinomas. Antibody reactivity could clearly distinguish between the margins of historically normal and dysplastic tissues. It is envisaged that the expression of this cell-surface glycoprotein. Which is possibly related to nidogen, a matrix-adhesion molecule with receptor-like function, could be used in monitoring progression or regression of these lesions and assessment of surgical excision margins. It could also be useful in in vivo and in vitro investigations into molecular changes underlying the formation of dysplastic lesions.