94,864 research outputs found
Bonding in doped gallium nanoclusters: Insights from regional DFT
The molecular nature (Ga2)n of gallium makes this an interesting metal to investigate for the development of novel nano-materials. However, establishment of a targeted approach to manipulating the properties of gallium clusters requires a detailed understanding of how doping affects the bonding in these species. In this study, the bonding of gallium nanoclusters has been investigated using electron deformation densities and Regional Density Functional Theory (RDFT). Bonding throughout Ga12X clusters is generally intermediate between covalent and metallic. However, the presence of Ga2 subunits is clearly identified in clusters with endohedral dopants (Ga12X, X = Al, Si, P, Ga, Ge, As). Although there is evidence of Ga2 subunits in exohedral doped clusters, localised bonding to the dopant generally leads to significant disruption to the cluster framework. Maps of electronic chemical potential provide understanding for the observed differences in regioselectivity for hydrogen adsorption
The survival of dynamical fossils in dwarf spheroidal galaxies in conventional and modified dynamics
The survival of unbound density substructure against orbital mixing imposes
strong constraints on the slope of the underlying gravitational potential and
provides a new test on modified gravities. Here we investigate whether the
interpretation that the stellar clump in Ursa Minor (UMi) dwarf spheroidal
galaxy is a `dynamical fossil' is consistent with Modified Newtonian dynamics
(MOND). For UMi mass models inferred by fitting the velocity dispersion
profile, the stellar clump around the second peak of UMi is erased very
rapidly, within 1.25 Gyr (6.5 orbits), even with the inclusion of self-gravity.
We find that the clump can hardly survive for more than 2 Gyr even under more
generous conditions. Alternative scenarios which could lead to a kinematically
cold clump are discussed but, so far, none of them were found to be fully
satisfactory. Our conclusion is that the cold clump in UMi poses a challenge
for both LambdaCDM and MOND.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Disruptions in large value payment systems: an experimental approach
This experimental study investigates the behaviour of banks in a large value payment system. More specifically,we look at 1) the reactions of banks to disruptions in the payment system, 2) the way in which the history of disruptions affects the behaviour of banks (path dependency) and 3) the effect of more concentration in the payment system (heterogeneous market versus a homogeneous market). The game used in this experiment is a stylized version of a model of Bech and Garrett (2006) in which each bank can choose between paying in the morning (efficient) or in the afternoon (inefficient). The results show that there is significant path dependency in terms of disruption history. Also the chance of disruption influences the behaviour of the participants. Once the system is moving towards the inefficient equilibrium, it does not easily move back to the efficient one. Furthermore, there is a clear leadership effect in the heterogeneous market
Modeling asteroid collisions and impact processes
As a complement to experimental and theoretical approaches, numerical
modeling has become an important component to study asteroid collisions and
impact processes. In the last decade, there have been significant advances in
both computational resources and numerical methods. We discuss the present
state-of-the-art numerical methods and material models used in "shock physics
codes" to simulate impacts and collisions and give some examples of those
codes. Finally, recent modeling studies are presented, focussing on the effects
of various material properties and target structures on the outcome of a
collision.Comment: Chapter to appear in the Space Science Series Book: Asteroids IV.
Includes minor correction
The self-enrichment of galactic halo globular clusters : a clue to their formation ?
We present a model of globular cluster self-enrichment. In the protogalaxy,
cold and dense clouds embedded in the hot protogalactic medium are assumed to
be the progenitors of galactic halo globular clusters. The massive stars of a
first generation of metal-free stars, born in the central areas of the
proto-globular cluster clouds, explode as Type II supernovae. The associated
blast waves trigger the expansion of a supershell, sweeping all the material of
the cloud, and the heavy elements released by these massive stars enrich the
supershell. A second generation of stars is born in these compressed and
enriched layers of gas. These stars can recollapse and form a globular cluster.
This work aims at revising the most often encountered argument against
self-enrichment, namely the presumed ability of a small number of supernovae to
disrupt a proto-globular cluster cloud. We describe a model of the dynamics of
the supershell and of its progressive chemical enrichment. We show that the
minimal mass of the primordial cluster cloud required to avoid disruption by
several tens of Type II supernovae is compatible with the masses usually
assumed for proto-globular cluster clouds. Furthermore, the corresponding
self-enrichment level is in agreement with halo globular cluster metallicities.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
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