3,865 research outputs found
Effective field theory approach to Casimir interactions on soft matter surfaces
We utilize an effective field theory approach to calculate Casimir
interactions between objects bound to thermally fluctuating fluid surfaces or
interfaces. This approach circumvents the complicated constraints imposed by
such objects on the functional integration measure by reverting to a point
particle representation. To capture the finite size effects, we perturb the
Hamiltonian by DH that encapsulates the particles' response to external fields.
DH is systematically expanded in a series of terms, each of which scales
homogeneously in the two power counting parameters: \lambda \equiv R/r, the
ratio of the typical object size (R) to the typical distance between them (r),
and delta=kB T/k, where k is the modulus characterizing the surface energy. The
coefficients of the terms in DH correspond to generalized polarizabilities and
thus the formalism applies to rigid as well as deformable objects.
Singularities induced by the point particle description can be dealt with using
standard renormalization techniques. We first illustrate and verify our
approach by re-deriving known pair forces between circular objects bound to
films or membranes. To demonstrate its efficiency and versatility, we then
derive a number of new results: The triplet interactions present in these
systems, a higher order correction to the film interaction, and general scaling
laws for the leading order interaction valid for objects of arbitrary shape and
internal flexibility.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Validation of an electrogoniometry system as a measure of knee kinematics during activities of daily living
Purpose: The increasing use of electrogoniometry (ELG) in clinical research requires the validation of different instrumentation. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the concurrent validity of an ELG system during activities of daily living.
Methods: Ten asymptomatic participants gave informed consent to participate. A Biometrics SG150 electrogoniometer was directly compared to a 12 camera three dimensional motion analysis system during walking, stair ascent, stair descent, sit to stand, and stand to sit activities for the measurement of the right knee angle. Analysis of validity was undertaken by linear regression. Standard error of estimate (SEE), standardised SEE (SSEE), and Pearson’s correlation coefficient r were computed for paired trials between systems for each functional activity.
Results: The 95% confidence interval of SEE was reasonable between systems across walking (LCI = 2.43 °; UCI = 2.91 °), stair ascent (LCI = 2.09 °; UCI = 2.42 °), stair descent (LCI = 1.79 °; UCI = 2.10 °), sit to stand (LCI = 1.22 °; UCI = 1.41 °), and stand to sit (LCI = 1.17 °; UCI = 1.34 °). Pearson’s correlation coefficient r across walking (LCI = 0.983; UCI = 0.990), stair ascent (LCI = 0.995; UCI = 0.997), stair descent (LCI = 0.995; UCI = 0.997), sit to stand (LCI = 0.998; UCI = 0.999), and stand to sit (LCI = 0.996; UCI = 0.997) was indicative of a strong linear relationship between systems.
Conclusion: ELG is a valid method of measuring the knee angle during activities representative of daily living. The range is within that suggested to be acceptable for the clinical evaluation of patients with musculoskeletal conditions
Fluid-Induced Propulsion of Rigid Particles in Wormlike Micellar Solutions
In the absence of inertia, a reciprocal swimmer achieves no net motion in a
viscous Newtonian fluid. Here, we investigate the ability of a reciprocally
actuated particle to translate through a complex fluid that possesses a network
using tracking methods and birefringence imaging. A geometrically polar
particle, a rod with a bead on one end, is reciprocally rotated using magnetic
fields. The particle is immersed in a wormlike micellar (WLM) solution that is
known to be susceptible to the formation of shear bands and other localized
structures due to shear-induced remodeling of its microstructure. Results show
that the nonlinearities present in this WLM solution break time-reversal
symmetry under certain conditions, and enable propulsion of an artificial
"swimmer." We find three regimes dependent on the Deborah number (De): net
motion towards the bead-end of the particle at low De, net motion towards the
rod-end of the particle at intermediate De, and no appreciable propulsion at
high De. At low De, where the particle time-scale is longer then the fluid
relaxation time, we believe that propulsion is caused by an imbalance in the
fluid first normal stress differences between the two ends of the particle
(bead and rod). At De~1, however, we observe the emergence of a region of
network anisotropy near the rod using birefringence imaging. This anisotropy
suggests alignment of the micellar network, which is "locked in" due to the
shorter time-scale of the particle relative to the fluid
Universality of Decoherence
We consider environment induced decoherence of quantum superpositions to
mixtures in the limit in which that process is much faster than any competing
one generated by the Hamiltonian of the isolated system. While
the golden rule then does not apply we can discard . By allowing
for simultaneous couplings to different reservoirs, we reveal decoherence as a
universal short-time phenomenon independent of the character of the system as
well as the bath and of the basis the superimposed states are taken from. We
discuss consequences for the classical behavior of the macroworld and quantum
measurement: For the decoherence of superpositions of macroscopically distinct
states the system Hamiltonian is always negligible.Comment: 4 revtex pages, no figure
Identification of the optical and near-infrared counterpart of GRS 1758-258
Context. Understood to be a microquasar in the Galactic center region, GRS
1758-258 has not yet been unambiguously identified to have an
optical/near-infrared counterpart, mainly because of the high absorption and
the historic lack of suitable astrometric stars, which led to the use of
secondary astrometric solutions. Although it is considered with 1E 1740.7-2942
as the prototypical microquasar in the Galactic center region, the Galactic
origin of both sources has not yet been confirmed. Aims. We attempt to improve
previous astrometry to identify a candidate counterpart to GRS 1758-258. We
present observations with the Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC), in which we
try to detect any powerful emission lines that would infer an extragalactic
origin of this source. Methods. We use modern star catalogues to reanalyze
archival images of the GRS 1758-258 field in the optical and near-infrared
wavelengths, and compute a new astrometric solution. We also reanalyzed
archival radio data of GRS 1758-258 to determine a new and more accurate radio
position. Results. Our improved astrometric solution for the GRS 1758-258 field
represents a significant advancement on previous works and allows us to
identify a single optical/near-infrared source, which we propose as the
counterpart of GRS 1758-258. The GTC spectrum of this source is however of low
signal-to-noise ratio and does not rule out a Galactic origin. Hence, new
spectral observations are required to confirm or discard a Galactic nature.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysic
A Study of Mo(4+)Quinoxalyl-Dithiolenes as Models for the Non-Innocent Pyranopterin in the Molybdenum Cofactor
A model system for the molybdenum cofactor has been developed that illustrates the noninnocent behavior of an N-heterocycle appended to a dithiolene chelate on molybdenum. The pyranopterin of the molybdenum cofactor is modeled by a quinoxalyldithiolene ligand (S(2)BMOQO) formed from the reaction of molybdenum tetrasulfide and quinoxalylalkyne. The resulting complexes TEA[Tp*MoX(S(2)BMOQO)] [1, X = S; 3, X = O; TEA = tetraethylammonium; Tp* = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate] undergo a dehydration-driven intramolecular cyclization within quinoxalyldithiolene, forming Tp*MoX(pyrrolo-S(2)BMOQO) (2, X = S; 4, X = O). 4 can be oxidized by one electron to produce the molybdenum(5+) complex 5. In a preliminary report of this work, evidence from X-ray crystallography, electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopies, and density functional theory (DFT) bonding calculations revealed that 4 possesses an unusual asymmetric dithiolene chelate with significant thione-thiolate character. The results described here provide a detailed description of the reaction conditions that lead to the formation of 4. Data from cyclic voltammetry, additional DFT calculations, and several spectroscopic methods (IR, electronic absorption, resonance Raman, and electron paramagnetic resonance) have been used to characterize the properties of members in this suite of five Mo(S(2)BMOQO) complexes and further substantiate the highly electron-withdrawing character of the pyrrolo-S(2)BMOQO ligand in 2, 4, and 5. This study of the unique noninnocent ligand S(2)BMOQO provides examples of the roles that the N-heterocycle pterin can play as an essential part of the molybdenum cofactor. The versatile nature of a dithiolene appended by heterocycles may aid in modulating the redox processes of the molybdenum center during the course of enzyme catalysis
A Study of Mo(4+)Quinoxalyl-Dithiolenes as Models for the Non-Innocent Pyranopterin in the Molybdenum Cofactor
A model system for the molybdenum cofactor has been developed that illustrates the noninnocent behavior of an N-heterocycle appended to a dithiolene chelate on molybdenum. The pyranopterin of the molybdenum cofactor is modeled by a quinoxalyldithiolene ligand (S(2)BMOQO) formed from the reaction of molybdenum tetrasulfide and quinoxalylalkyne. The resulting complexes TEA[Tp*MoX(S(2)BMOQO)] [1, X = S; 3, X = O; TEA = tetraethylammonium; Tp* = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate] undergo a dehydration-driven intramolecular cyclization within quinoxalyldithiolene, forming Tp*MoX(pyrrolo-S(2)BMOQO) (2, X = S; 4, X = O). 4 can be oxidized by one electron to produce the molybdenum(5+) complex 5. In a preliminary report of this work, evidence from X-ray crystallography, electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopies, and density functional theory (DFT) bonding calculations revealed that 4 possesses an unusual asymmetric dithiolene chelate with significant thione-thiolate character. The results described here provide a detailed description of the reaction conditions that lead to the formation of 4. Data from cyclic voltammetry, additional DFT calculations, and several spectroscopic methods (IR, electronic absorption, resonance Raman, and electron paramagnetic resonance) have been used to characterize the properties of members in this suite of five Mo(S(2)BMOQO) complexes and further substantiate the highly electron-withdrawing character of the pyrrolo-S(2)BMOQO ligand in 2, 4, and 5. This study of the unique noninnocent ligand S(2)BMOQO provides examples of the roles that the N-heterocycle pterin can play as an essential part of the molybdenum cofactor. The versatile nature of a dithiolene appended by heterocycles may aid in modulating the redox processes of the molybdenum center during the course of enzyme catalysis
The k-Point Random Matrix Kernels Obtained from One-Point Supermatrix Models
The k-point correlation functions of the Gaussian Random Matrix Ensembles are
certain determinants of functions which depend on only two arguments. They are
referred to as kernels, since they are the building blocks of all correlations.
We show that the kernels are obtained, for arbitrary level number, directly
from supermatrix models for one-point functions. More precisely, the generating
functions of the one-point functions are equivalent to the kernels. This is
surprising, because it implies that already the one-point generating function
holds essential information about the k-point correlations. This also
establishes a link to the averaged ratios of spectral determinants, i.e. of
characteristic polynomials
Precision Measurements of Stretching and Compression in Fluid Mixing
The mixing of an impurity into a flowing fluid is an important process in
many areas of science, including geophysical processes, chemical reactors, and
microfluidic devices. In some cases, for example periodic flows, the concepts
of nonlinear dynamics provide a deep theoretical basis for understanding
mixing. Unfortunately, the building blocks of this theory, i.e. the fixed
points and invariant manifolds of the associated Poincare map, have remained
inaccessible to direct experimental study, thus limiting the insight that could
be obtained. Using precision measurements of tracer particle trajectories in a
two-dimensional fluid flow producing chaotic mixing, we directly measure the
time-dependent stretching and compression fields. These quantities, previously
available only numerically, attain local maxima along lines coinciding with the
stable and unstable manifolds, thus revealing the dynamical structures that
control mixing. Contours or level sets of a passive impurity field are found to
be aligned parallel to the lines of large compression (unstable manifolds) at
each instant. This connection appears to persist as the onset of turbulence is
approached.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
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