Janus within Janus

We found a simple and interesting generalization of the non-supersymmetric Janus solution in type IIB string theory. The Janus solution can be thought of as a thick AdS_d-sliced domain wall in AdS_{d+1} space. It turns out that the AdS_d-sliced domain wall can support its own AdS_{d-1}-sliced domain wall within it. Indeed this pattern persists further until it reaches the AdS_2-slice of the domain wall within self-similar AdS_{p (2<p\le d)}-sliced domain walls. In other words the solution represents a sequence of little Janus nested in the interface of the parent Janus according to a remarkably simple ``nesting'' rule. Via the AdS/CFT duality, the dual gauge theory description is in general an interface CFT of higher codimensions.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, v2 references added. v3 eq.(3.33) correcte

JANUS: an FPGA-based System for High Performance Scientific Computing

This paper describes JANUS, a modular massively parallel and reconfigurable FPGA-based computing system. Each JANUS module has a computational core and a host. The computational core is a 4x4 array of FPGA-based processing elements with nearest-neighbor data links. Processors are also directly connected to an I/O node attached to the JANUS host, a conventional PC. JANUS is tailored for, but not limited to, the requirements of a class of hard scientific applications characterized by regular code structure, unconventional data manipulation instructions and not too large data-base size. We discuss the architecture of this configurable machine, and focus on its use on Monte Carlo simulations of statistical mechanics. On this class of application JANUS achieves impressive performances: in some cases one JANUS processing element outperfoms high-end PCs by a factor ~ 1000. We also discuss the role of JANUS on other classes of scientific applications.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Improved version, largely rewritten, submitted to Computing in Science & Engineerin

Note on Generalized Janus Configurations

We study several aspects of generalized Janus configuration, which includes a theta term. We investigate the vacuum structure of the theory and find that unlike the Janus configuration without theta term there is no nontrivial vacuum. We also discuss BPS soliton configuration both by supersymmetry analysis and from energy functional. The half BPS configurations could be realized by introducing transverse (p,q)-strings in original brane configuration corresponding to generalized Janus configuration. It turns out the BPS soliton could be taken as modified dyon. We discuss the solution of half BPS equations for the sharp interface case. Moreover we construct less supersymmetric Janus configuration with theta term.Comment: 27 pages; References adde

Hydrodynamic simulations of self-phoretic microswimmers

A mesoscopic hydrodynamic model to simulate synthetic self-propelled Janus particles which is thermophoretically or diffusiophoretically driven is here developed. We first propose a model for a passive colloidal sphere which reproduces the correct rotational dynamics together with strong phoretic effect. This colloid solution model employs a multiparticle collision dynamics description of the solvent, and combines potential interactions with the solvent, with stick boundary conditions. Asymmetric and specific colloidal surface is introduced to produce the properties of self-phoretic Janus particles. A comparative study of Janus and microdimer phoretic swimmers is performed in terms of their swimming velocities and induced flow behavior. Self-phoretic microdimers display long range hydrodynamic interactions and can be characterized as pullers or pushers. In contrast, Janus particles are characterized by short range hydrodynamic interactions and behave as neutral swimmers. Our model nicely mimics those recent experimental realization of the self-phoretic Janus particles.Comment: 11pages, 12figures, 2table

Electrophoresis of Janus Particles: a Molecular Dynamics simulation study

In this work, we use Molecular Dynamics and Lattice-Boltzmann simulations to study the properties of charged Janus particles in an electric field. We show that for relatively small net charge and thick electrostatic diffuse layer mobilities of Janus particles and uniformly charged colloids of the same net charge are identical. However, for higher charges and thinner diffuse layers Janus particles always show lower electrophoretic mobility. We also demonstrate that Janus particles align with the electric field and the angular deviation from the field's direction are related to their dipole moment. We show that the latter is affected by the thickness of the electrostatic diffuse layer and strongly correlates with the electrophoretic mobility.Comment: Accepted to JC

Molecular dynamics simulations of the rotational and translational diffusion of a Janus rod-shaped nanoparticle

The diffusion of a Janus rod-shaped nanoparticle in a dense Lennard-Jones fluid is studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The Janus particle is modeled as a rigid cylinder whose atoms on each half-side have different interaction energies with fluid molecules, thus comprising wetting and nonwetting surfaces. We found that both rotational and translational diffusion coefficients are larger for Janus particles with higher wettability contrast, and these values are bound between the two limiting cases of uniformly wetting and nonwetting particles. It was also shown that values of the diffusion coefficients for displacements parallel and perpendicular to the major axis of a uniformly wetting particle agree well with analytical predictions despite a finite slip at the particle surface present in MD simulations. It was further demonstrated that diffusion of Janus particles is markedly different from that of uniform particles; namely, Janus particles preferentially rotate and orient their nonwetting sides along the displacement vector to reduce drag. This correlation between translation and rotation is consistent with the previous results on diffusive dynamics of a spherical Janus particle with two hemispheres of different wettability.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Conformal Janus on Euclidean Sphere

We interpret Janus as an interface in a conformal field theory and study its properties. The Janus is created by an exactly marginal operator and we study its effect on the interface conformal field theory on the Janus. We do this by utilizing the AdS/CFT correspondence. We compute the interface free energy both from leading correction to the Euclidean action in the dual gravity description and from conformal perturbation theory in the conformal field theory. We find that the two results agree each other and that the interface free energy scales precisely as expected from the conformal invariance of the Janus interface.Comment: 37 pages, 5 figures, references added, section 2 and references added, published versio

Critical adsorption of polyelectrolytes onto charged Janus nanospheres

Based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations and analytical considerations we study the electrostatically driven adsorption of flexible polyelectrolyte chains onto charged Janus nanospheres. These net-neutral colloids are composed of two equally but oppositely charged hemispheres. The critical binding conditions for polyelectrolyte chains are analysed as function of the radius of the Janus particle and its surface charge density, as well as the salt concentration in the ambient solution. Specifically for the adsorption of finite-length polyelectrolyte chains onto Janus nanoparticles, we demonstrate that the critical adsorption conditions drastically differ when the size of the Janus particle or the screening length of the electrolyte are varied. We compare the scaling laws obtained for the adsorption-desorption threshold to the known results for uniformly charged spherical particles, observing significant disparities. We also contrast the changes to the polyelectrolyte chain conformations and the binding energy distributions close to the adsorption-desorption transition for Janus nanoparticles to those for simple spherical particles. Finally, we discuss experimentally relevant physico-chemical systems for which our simulations results may become important. In particular, we observe similar trends with polyelectrolyte complexation with oppositely but heterogeneously charged proteins.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, RevTeX