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, ultrasonic, 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 enclosing a 1.3-cm-diameter hole bored through a 2.54-cm-long cube block of stainless steel. Four 3-mm-diameter counterbored and taper-threaded holes on the cube walls provide minimally intrusive, chemically inert ports for temperature and acoustical monitoring. Pressure is easily varied within the cell by means of a stainless steel threaded shaft with an O-ring seal at the end, situated inside a matched internally threaded housing. An example of photoacoustic waveforms acquired under conditions of varying hydrostatic pressure is provided.