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A surfactant's equilibrium spreading pressure (ESP) is the maximum decrease in surface tension achievable at equilibrium below the Krafft point. Difficulties in measuring the ESP have been noted previously but no well-established experimental protocols to overcome them exist. We present a case study of three solid amphiphiles with different propensities to spread on the air–water interface. Starting with the partially water soluble n-dodecanol (C12H25OH), which spreads instantaneously. The strong Marangoni flows associated with the spreading result in the dislocating of the Wilhelmy plate or crystals attaching to it. A temporary mechanical barrier in front of the spreading crystals mitigates the flows disturbing the plate. Presaturating the subphase with the amphiphile prevents the establishment of dynamic steady states, reduces the standard error by a factor of three and causes faster equilibration. The perfluoroalkylated analog of dodecanol (11:1 fluorotelomer alcohol, C11F23CH2OH) is slow spreading. With surfactant crystals on the interface, the surface pressure reaches a pre-equilibrium plateau within an hour, followed by equilibration on day-long timescales. We show that it is better to estimate the ESP by averaging the values of multiple pre-equilibrium plateaus rather than waiting for equilibrium to be established. Finally, the nonspreading amphiphile DPPC exhibits a large barrier for the mass transfer from the DPPC crystal to the aqueous surface. This was overcome by introducing a volatile, water-immiscible solvent deposited on the surface next to the crystals to facilitate the spreading process and leave behind a monolayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid oxygen is an example for a quadrupolar medium—a dense fluid made of nonpolar molecules carrying a significant quadrupolar moment. In this work, we present a method for the computation of the macroscopic quadrupolarizability of such a quadrupolar liquid. As a first step, the quadrupole moment and the molecular quadrupolarizability of O2 are calculated from first principles. Next, we apply a model generalizing Onsager's dielectric cavity theory to compute the macroscopic quadrupolarizability of liquid oxygen under a wide range of conditions. Literature data for the density and dielectric permittivity of oxygen are used to determine the cavity size independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency dependent impedance of Frequency Dependent Negative Resistor (FDNR) or D-element is calculated using frequency dependent open-loop gain of the operational amplifiers violet and finite crossover frequency. The general analytical result for the frequency dependent impedance of FDNR gives approximative formula for the Q-factor if FDNR is part of a resonance circuit. The presented analytical result is illustrated by an experiment with a contemporary low noise and high speed operational amplifiers (Op Amp). The purpose of this study is to clarify which factors determines the Q-factors of resonators with FDNR. The derived formula for the Q-factor reveals the novelty of our result – the Q-factor is determined by the nonideality parameters of Op Amps, finite static open loop gain, and frequency dependent open-loop gain determined by the finite crossover frequency. The measurement reveals the frequency dependence of a simple resonance filter. The derived formulas can be used for precise calculation of active filters with FDNR which perhaps are the main application of D-elements. The derived analytical formulas reveal how FDNR can be optimized in order resonators with them to have Q-factor comparable with the quartz resonators which opens widest applications in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dielectric properties of a fluid composed of molecules possessing both dipole and quadrupole moments are studied based on a model of the Onsager type (molecule in the centre of a spherical cavity). The dielectric permittivity ε and the macroscopic quadrupole polarizability αQ of the fluid are related to the basic molecular characteristics (molecular dipole, polarizability, quadrupole, quadrupolarizability). The effect of αQ is to increase the reaction field, to bring forth reaction field gradient, to decrease the cavity field, and to bring forth cavity field gradient. The effects from the quadrupole terms are significant in the case of small cavity size in a non-polar liquid. The quadrupoles in the medium are shown to have a small but measurable effect on the dielectric permittivity of several liquids (Ar, Kr, Xe, CH4, N2, CO2, CS2, C6H6, H2O, CH3OH). The theory is used to calculate the macroscopic quadrupolarizabilities of these fluids as functions of pressure and temperature. The cavity radii are also determined for these liquids, and it is shown that they are functions of density only. This extension of Onsager's theory will be important for non-polar solutions (fuel, crude oil, liquid CO2), especially at increased pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quadrupolar Maxwell electrostatic equations predict several qualitatively different results compared to Poisson's classical equation in their description of the properties of a dielectric interface. All interfaces between dielectrics possess surface dipole moment which results in a measurable surface potential jump. The surface dipole moment is conjugated to the bulk quadrupole moment density (the quadrupolarization) similarly to Gauss's relation between surface charge and bulk polarization. However, the classical macroscopic Maxwell equations completely neglect the quadrupolarization of the medium. Therefore, the electrostatic potential distribution near an interface of intrinsic dipole moment can be correctly described only within the quadrupolar macroscopic equations of electrostatics. They predict that near the polarized interface a diffuse dipole layer exists, which bears many similarities to the diffuse charge layer near a charged surface, in agreement with existing molecular dynamics simulation data. It turns out that when the quadrupole terms are kept in the multipole expansion of the laws of electrostatics, the solutions for the potential and the electric field are continuous functions at the surface. A well-defined surface electric field exists, interacting with the adsorbed dipoles. This allows for a macroscopic description of the surface dipole-surface dipole and the surface dipole-bulk quadrupole interactions. They are shown to have considerable contribution to the interfacial tension--of the order of tens of mN/m! To evaluate it, the Maxwell stress tensor in quadrupolar medium is deduced, including the electric field gradient action on the quadrupoles, as well as quadrupolar image force and quadrupolar electrostriction. The dependence of the interfacial tension on the external normal electric field (the dielectrocapillary curve) is predicted and the dielectric susceptibility of the dipolar double layer is related to the quadrupolarizabilities of the bulk phases and the intrinsic polarization of the interface. The coefficient of the dielectro-Marangoni effect (surface flow due to gradient of the normal electric field) is found. A model of the Langevin type for the surface dipole moment and the intrinsic surface polarizability is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical approximation for the polytropic index of a hydrogen gas has been derived. The derived expressions can be useful for theoretical work and numerical calculations. These results open the possibility of direct computation of these thermodynamic quantities, rather than interpolating from tables. Additionally, the polytropic index is graphically represented as a function of temperature and density. It is concluded that the partially ionized hydrogen plasma cannot be exactly polytropic. The calculated deviations from the monoatomic value 5/3 are significant and measurable. The present theory supposes that hydrogen molecules are completely dissociated, and this analytical result for pure hydrogen plasma can be applied for the solar chromosphere, where He ionization is negligible and H2 dissociation is almost complete. These two conditions define the ranges of applicability of temperatures and densities. The analytical result for pure hydrogen plasma is a test example of how this approach can be extended for an arbitrary gas cocktail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the problem of the 8th International Experimental Physics Olympiad (EPO8). The task of the EPO8 is to determine Planck constant ħ = h/2p using the given set-up with LED. If you have an idea how to do it, do it and send us the result; skip the reading of the detailed step by step instructions with increasing difficulties. We expect the participants to follow the suggested items – they are instructive for physics education in general. Only the reading of historical remarks given in the first section can be omitted during the Olympiad without loss of generality. Participants should try solving as much tasks as they can without paying attention to the age categories: give your best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the problem of the 7th international Experimental Physics Olympiad “The Day of the Inductance”. A large inductance made by a general impedance converter is measured by the Maxwell-Wien bridge. The youngest students (S category) have the problem to measure the parameters of the elements in the experimental set-up. The students at middle age (category M) should balance a Wheatstone bridge with resistors only. The inductance measurement is supposed to be accomplished by the students from the upper age (L category) only. From the university students (XL category) we expect error estimation and professionally made measurement protocol. As a homework problem (Sommerfeld price) the general formula for the impedance of the general impedance converter, where the general equation for operational amplifiers is included, has to be derived. Problems for further work are also given in the text. The described set-up can be considered as a prototype for companies producing laboratory equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tunable high-Q resonator is performed in the schematics of the General Impedance Converter (GIC). In the framework of frequency dependent open-loop gain of operational amplifiers, a general formula of the frequency dependence of the impedance of GIC is derived. The explicit formulas for the resonance frequency and Q-factor include as an immanent parameter the crossover frequency of the operational amplifier. Voltage measurements of GIC with a lock-in amplifier perfectly agree with the derived formulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1 and in formulas is inconsistent.[1] The final result for the impedance equation (8) is correct if the impedances in Fig. The opposite is true if the numbering of Fig. REFERENCE 1 T. Mifune, T. M. Mishonov, N. S. Serafimov, I. M. Dimitrova, R. Popeski-Dimovski, L. Velkoska, E. G. Petkov, A. M. Varonov, and A. Barone, "Tunable high-Q resonator by general impedance converter", Rev. Sci. Instrum. [Extracted from the article]

Theoretical expressions for the macroscopic polarizability and quadrupolarizability of a quadrupolar mixture are derived. The theory is demonstrated on the example of a liquid mixture of methane and nitrogen (nonquadrupolar plus quadrupolar component). It turns out that the dielectric permittivity (the "dipole strength" of the liquid) of this mixture changes little with the composition, while the quadrupolar length ("quadrupolar strength") almost triples as the fraction of nitrogen approaches one. A set of such mixtures can be used as standard quadrupolar solvents to study systematically phenomena such as quadrupolar solvatochromism, the effect of the solvent on the rate of a reaction etc.