This study investigates the effects of solid-state laser power and argon gas pressure on selected fundamental parameters of a DC glow discharge. The discharge was generated by applying a DC voltage of up to 6 kV, while a 532 nm solid-state laser with power ranging from 0 to 5 watts was directed through the plasma. The electron thermal de Broglie wavelength, plasma skin depth, laser phase velocity, and plasma dielectric permittivity were calculated using the electron temperature and electron density obtained in a previous experimental study. The results show that the electron thermal de Broglie wavelength increases with both laser power and gas pressure because of the corresponding reduction in electron temperature. The plasma skin depth increases approximately with gas pressure but decreases nonlinearly as the laser power increases, reflecting the associated changes in electron density and plasma conductivity. The calculated laser phase velocity decreases with increasing gas pressure and increases with laser power. In addition, the dielectric permittivity increases with gas pressure but gradually decreases as the power rises. These findings demonstrate that laser power and gas pressure can significantly influence electromagnetic-wave propagation and the fundamental properties of argon glow-discharge plasma under the investigated conditions.
This study investigated the effects of different dopants (Mn, Cu, and Sb) on the characterization of SnO₂ thin films prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The pure and doped powders were prepared by the sol-gel technique and sintered at 600 оC for two hours. Structural analysis revealed a tetragonal structure in SnO2, and the addition of dopants induced lattice strain and increased dislocation density, thereby enhancing the number of active sites available for gas interactions. The morphology analysis revealed that the particles were uniformly distributed in the films and were almost spherical in shape. Optical measurements demonstrated a bandgap change, which decreased with doping from 3.83 eV to 2.8 eV. The higher sensitivity toward 50 ppm NO2 at 100°C operating temperature was 41.6% for the film doped with Sb, compared with films doped with Mn and Cu (25% and 24%). The results showed the different impacts of different dopants in enhancing the structural and optical properties of SnO2 thin films, which affect the sensor sensitivity toward NO2 gas.
In this study, the Alpha Guard PQ2000 PRO detector was used to collect direct water samples from 36 locations southeast of Baghdad Governorate. This included 10 samples collected from the Tuwaitha nuclear site. Twenty-six samples were collected. While outside the Tuwaitha nuclear site, including from health centers, mosques, schools, and gas stations near the Tuwaitha nuclear site. The highest radon concentration in the water tank was recorded at 0.44204 Bq/L at the Central Laboratories Directorate/Model Room (sample W9). In contrast, the lowest concentration was recorded at 0.13364 Bq/L at the Nuclear and Radiation Safety and Security Directorate (sample W11). The annual effective dose from inhalation and ingestion of radon-222 was calculated for all these locations and was found to be lower than the recommended reference level. The natural limit for radon concentration in water is 100 Bq/L according to the World Health Organization, while the Environmental Protection Agency sets a more stringent standard of 11 Bq/L. Radon gas and its short-lived decay products contribute significantly to human exposure to natural radiation, which can cause cancer. Ongoing monitoring is essential to mitigate potential risks.
In this study, the ground-state nuclear structure of neutron-deficient mercury (Hg) isotopes in the mass number range A=180-192 is investigated within the self-consistent Skyrme-Hartree-Fock (SHF) framework using different parametrizations. The even-even and odd-even A members of the isotopic chain were examined in terms of nuclear deformations, charge radii, binding energies, separation energies, and nuclear density distributions. The calculated charge radii agreed with the experimental systematics, with residual deviations below 0.082 fm, confirming the quantitative reliability of the SHF in describing nuclear spatial observables. Furthermore, the nuclear charge-density distributions calculated using the Skyrme Skxcsba parameterization showed good agreement with the available experimental data, exhibiting central densities of approximately ρᴄh ≈ 0.06–0.07 fm⁻³ and a systematic outward shift with increasing mass number. The nuclear matter-density profiles confirm central saturation near ρ₀ ≈ 0.16 fm⁻³, together with a gradual broadening of the surface diffuseness region toward the heavier isotopes, consistent with the increasing nuclear size. The axial quadrupole potential energy surfaces (PESs) were mapped as a function of the deformation parameter β₂ for all the investigated isotopes. The resulting surfaces revealed a transition from weakly oblate to prolate configurations near the neutron mid-shell region.
Chitosan/polyaniline (Cs/PANI) biopolymer electrolyte films were prepared by the solution casting method to investigate the influence of the oxidant-to-monomer ratio during PANI synthesis on their structural, optical, thermal, morphological, and electrical properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the interaction between Cs and PANI through characteristic shifts in the absorption bands, indicating enhanced intermolecular interactions. UV-vis. Analysis revealed that increasing the oxidant ratio reduced the optical band gap from 2 to 1.8 eV, while electrical measurements demonstrated an improvement in ionic conductivity from 8.47×10-3 to 1.06 ×10-2 S. cm⁻¹. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a more homogeneous distribution of PANI within the Cs matrix, with reduced particle agglomeration. In contrast, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated enhanced thermal stability and improved polymer chain mobility. These results demonstrate that optimizing the oxidant ratio is an effective approach for enhancing the structural organization, charge transport, and thermal performance of Cs/PANI biopolymer electrolytes, highlighting their potential for solid-state energy storage and flexible electronic applications.
