Plasma

12 pages, 730 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plasma Farming: Non-Thermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Technology for Improving the Growth of Soybean Sprouts and Chickens

by Jiao Jiao Zhang, Taeho Kwon, Seong Bong Kim and Dong Kee Jeong

Plasma 2018, 1(2), 285-296; https://doi.org/10.3390/plasma1020025 - 13 Dec 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6006

Abstract

Non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is an innovative and emerging field combining plasma physics, life science and clinical medicine for a wide-range of biological applications. Plasma techniques are applied in treating surfaces, materials or devices to realize specific qualities for subsequent special medical applications, plant seeds to improve the production and quality of crops, and living cells or tissues to realize therapeutic effects. Several studies that are summarized within this review show that non-thermal DBD plasma technique has potential biological applications in soybean sprout growth, chicken embryonic development and postnatal growth rate, and even male chicken reproductive capacity. The current developments in the non-thermal DBD plasma technique may be beneficial to improve plant and poultry productivity. Full article

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8 pages, 2033 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Inverted Magnetron Operating in HiPIMS Mode

by Phitsanu Poolcharuansin, Artit Chingsungnoen, Nitisak Pasaja and James W Bradley

Plasma 2018, 1(2), 277-284; https://doi.org/10.3390/plasma1020024 - 27 Nov 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3693

Abstract

An ionized physical vapor deposition technique for thin ferromagnetic films is proposed. The technique is based on high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) with positive discharge polarity. A gapped-target was employed as the cathode of the magnetron. By applying positive HiPIMS pulses to the anode, sputtered particles inside the magnetron source were ionized and extracted through the gap. Using a discharge current with a peak of about 13 A, an ion flux in the order of 10²¹ m⁻²s⁻¹ was obtained at a distance of 45 mm from the magnetron. In addition, deposition rates of up to 1.1 Å/s for nickel films were achieved using a 30 Hz repetition rate and 300 µs pulse width. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Developments in Pulsed Low-Temperature Plasmas)

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15 pages, 4011 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment Modulates Human Monocytes/Macrophages Responsiveness

by Letizia Crestale, Romolo Laurita, Anna Liguori, Augusto Stancampiano, Maria Talmon, Alina Bisag, Matteo Gherardi, Angela Amoruso, Vittorio Colombo and Luigia G. Fresu

Plasma 2018, 1(2), 261-276; https://doi.org/10.3390/plasma1020023 - 29 Oct 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4926

Abstract

Monocytes are involved in innate immune surveillance, establishment and resolution on inflammation, and can polarize versus M1 (pro-inflammatory) or M2 (anti-inflammatory) macrophages. The possibility to control and drive immune cells activity through plasma stimulation is therefore attractive. We focused on the effects induced by cold-atmospheric plasma on human primary monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages. Monocytes resulted more susceptible than monocyte-derived macrophages to the plasma treatment as demonstrated by the increase in reactive oxygen (ROS) production and reduction of viability. Macrophages instead were not induced to produce ROS and presented a stable viability. Analysis of macrophage markers demonstrated a time-dependent decrease of the M1 population and a correspondent increase of M2 monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). These findings suggest that plasma treatment may drive macrophage polarization towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Medicine)

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Graphical abstract

2 pages, 184 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on Plasma Medicine

by Mounir Laroussi, Michael Keidar and Masaru Hori

Plasma 2018, 1(2), 259-260; https://doi.org/10.3390/plasma1020022 - 17 Oct 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3029

Abstract

n/a Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Medicine)

17 pages, 1610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Implicit Temporal Discretization and Exact Energy Conservation for Particle Methods Applied to the Poisson–Boltzmann Equation

by Giovanni Lapenta and Wei Jiang

Plasma 2018, 1(2), 242-258; https://doi.org/10.3390/plasma1020021 - 9 Oct 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2941

Abstract

We report on a new multiscale method approach for the study of systems with wide separation of short-range forces acting on short time scales and long-range forces acting on much slower scales. We consider the case of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation that describes the long-range forces using the Boltzmann formula (i.e., we assume the medium to be in quasi local thermal equilibrium). We develop a new approach where fields and particle information (mediated by the equations for their moments) are solved self-consistently. The new approach is implicit and numerically stable, providing exact energy conservation. We test different implementations that all lead to exact energy conservation. The new method requires the solution of a large set of non-linear equations. We consider three solution strategies: Jacobian Free Newton Krylov, an alternative, called field hiding which is based on hiding part of the residual calculation and replacing them with direct solutions and a Direct Newton Schwarz solver that considers a simplified, single, particle-based Jacobian. The field hiding strategy proves to be the most efficient approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiscale Methods in Plasma Physics)

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13 pages, 4197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temperature and Lifetime Measurements in the SSX Wind Tunnel

by Manjit Kaur, Kaitlin D Gelber, Adam D. Light and Michael R. Brown

Plasma 2018, 1(2), 229-241; https://doi.org/10.3390/plasma1020020 - 8 Oct 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4566

Abstract

We describe ion and electron temperature measurements in the Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment (SSX) MHD wind tunnel with the goal of understanding limitations on the lifetime of our Taylor-state plasma. A simple model based on the equilibrium eigenvalue and Spitzer resistivity predicted the lifetime [...] Read more.

T_{e}

along a chord by taking the ratio of the

C_{I I I} 97.7

nm to

C_{I V} 155

nm line intensities using a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) monochromator. We also recorded local measurements of

T_{e}

and

n_{e}

using a double Langmuir probe in order to inform our interpretation of the VUV data. Our results indicated that the plasma decayed inductively during a large part of the evolution. Ion Doppler spectroscopy measurements suggested that ions cooled more slowly than would be expected from thermal equilibration with the electrons, which maintained a constant temperature throughout the lifetime of the plasma. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fundamental Plasma Studies with Applications to Space and Fusion Physics)

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Plasma, Volume 1, Issue 2 (December 2018) – 6 articles

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