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Rate Methods (rate + methods)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Physics and Astronomy	50%

Selected Abstracts

Measuring metabolic rate in the field: the pros and cons of the doubly labelled water and heart rate methods

FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
P. J. Butler
Summary 1Measuring the metabolic rate of animals in the field (FMR) is central to the work of ecologists in many disciplines. In this article we discuss the pros and cons of the two most commonly used methods for measuring FMR. 2Both methods are constantly under development, but at the present time can only accurately be used to estimate the mean rate of energy expenditure of groups of animals. The doubly labelled water method (DLW) uses stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen to trace the flow of water and carbon dioxide through the body over time. From these data, it is possible to derive a single estimate of the rate of oxygen consumption () for the duration of the experiment. The duration of the experiment will depend on the rate of flow of isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen through the body, which in turn depends on the animal's size, ranging from 24 h for small vertebrates to up to 28 days in Humans. 3This technique has been used widely, partly as a result of its relative simplicity and potential low cost, though there is some uncertainty over the determination of the standard error of the estimate of mean . 4The heart rate (fH) method depends on the physiological relationship between heart rate and . 5If these two quantities are calibrated against each other under controlled conditions, fH can then be measured in free-ranging animals and used to estimate . 6The latest generation of small implantable data loggers means that it is possible to measure fH for over a year on a very fine temporal scale, though the current size of the data loggers limits the size of experimental animals to around 1 kg. However, externally mounted radio-transmitters are now sufficiently small to be used with animals of less than 40 g body mass. This technique is gaining in popularity owing to its high accuracy and versatility, though the logistic constraint of performing calibrations can make its use a relatively extended process. [source]

Rate constants for the gas-phase reaction of CF3CF2CF2CF2CF2CHF2 with OH radicals at 250,430 K

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 1 2004
L. Chen
The rate constants k1 for the reaction of CF3CF2CF2CF2CF2CHF2 with OH radicals were determined by using both absolute and relative rate methods. The absolute rate constants were measured at 250,430 K using the flash photolysis,laser-induced fluorescence (FP-LIF) technique and the laser photolysis,laser-induced fluorescence (LP-LIF) technique to monitor the OH radical concentration. The relative rate constants were measured at 253,328 K in an 11.5-dm3 reaction chamber with either CHF2Cl or CH2FCF3 as a reference compound. OH radicals were produced by UV photolysis of an O3,H2O,He mixture at an initial pressure of 200 Torr. Ozone was continuously introduced into the reaction chamber during the UV irradiation. The k1 (298 K) values determined by the absolute method were (1.69 ± 0.07) × 10,15 cm3 molecule,1 s,1 (FP-LIF method) and (1.72 ± 0.07) × 10,15 cm3 molecule,1 s,1 (LP-LIF method), whereas the K1 (298 K) values determined by the relative method were (1.87 ± 0.11) × 10,15 cm3 molecule,1 s,1 (CHF2Cl reference) and (2.12 ± 0.11) × 10,15 cm3 molecule,1 s,1 (CH2FCF3 reference). These data are in agreement with each other within the estimated experimental uncertainties. The Arrhenius rate constant determined from the kinetic data was K1 = (4.71 ± 0.94) × 10,13 exp[,(1630 ± 80)/T] cm3 molecule,1 s,1. Using kinetic data for the reaction of tropospheric CH3CCl3 with OH radicals [k1 (272 K) = 6.0 × 10,15 cm3 molecule,1 s,1, tropospheric lifetime of CH3CCl3 = 6.0 years], we estimated the tropospheric lifetime of CF3CF2CF2CF2CF2CHF2 through reaction with OH radicals to be 31 years. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 26,33, 2004 [source]

Simulation of the influence of thermal quenching on thermoluminescence glow-peaks

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010
B. Subedi
Abstract The thermal quenching of luminescence efficiency is an effect which is present in many thermoluminescent (TL) materials. It causes a significant decrease of the luminescence signal and disturbs the shape of the glow-peaks. Therefore, in principle, the thermoluminescence kinetics theory cannot describe TL glow-peaks influenced by thermal quenching. In the present work a detailed simulation of the influence of the thermal quenching effect on thermoluminescence glow-peaks is presented. Specifically we study the shift of the quenched glow-peak with heating rate and the effect on the various heating rate methods, the influence on the symmetry factor and the kinetic order of the glow-peak, and the effect of thermal quenching on the initial rise and peak shape methods for evaluating kinetic parameters. Furthermore, the evaluation of the thermal quenching parameters using the quenched glow-peak and the possibility of using the conventional expression describing a single glow-peak to fit the quenched glow peaks are also investigated. [source]

Electrical and structural properties of p -type nanocrystalline silicon grown by LEPECVD for photovoltaic applications

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 3-4 2010
Gabriel Micard
Abstract p-doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (p-nc-Si:H) is one of the most critical layers in thin film silicon solar cells. LEPECVD is a new technique for the growth of nc-Si at high growth rate without compromising the layer quality, using a dense but low energy plasma. Thin p-nc-Si:H layers are grown on glass and ZnO:Al coated glass and their structural and electrical properties are investigated as a function of the silane dilution (d) and of the doping ratio (DR). The influence of the substrate on the structural properties is investigated and discussed. The incubation layer is clearly observed on both substrate types and its thickness is estimated. LEPECVD distinguishes itself from other high growth rate methods by a very low impurity distribution coefficient to obtain a comparable conductivity and boron density. The conduction path is shown to be dependent on the density of boron in the layer while a significant decrease of conductivity at high DR is not observed in the studied range (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]