A self-contained, portable variable-pressure hydrostatic cell for use in low gauge pressure electromagnetic, ultrasonic, and photoacoustic studies

A simple, manually adjustable hydrostatic cell for electromagnetic, ultraso nic, and photoacoustic studies in absolute pressure ranges from 40 kPa to 5 .5 MPa is described. The cell consists of two 3-mm-thick quartz windows enc losing a 1.3-cm-diameter hole bored through a 2.54-cm-long cube block of st ainless steel. Four 3-mm-diameter counterbored and taper-threaded holes on the cube walls provide minimally intrusive, chemically inert ports for temp erature and acoustical monitoring. Pressure is easily varied within the cel l by means of a stainless steel threaded shaft with an O-ring seal at the e nd, situated inside a matched internally threaded housing. An example of ph otoacoustic waveforms acquired under conditions of varying hydrostatic pres sure is provided. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)02 201-7].